Strawberry Wine
by special2401
Summary: AU. Derek is seventeen and it's the summer after senior year. The resort on the island he lives on is filling with guests he has always hated. This summer, things change a bit.
1. Chapter 1

* * *

**Strawberry Wine**

Derek finished tying up the boat to the dock and grabbed the rest of his belongings before following his father up the path to the fishing market. The setting sun left a coolness in the air and magnificent colors in the sky. He stopped and looked up at the resort and rolled his eyes at all the people lounging around the pool for the first night's party.

That's how the season always began. The regulars made their way to the pool or the cocktail party almost immediately, allowing the newer people to join later and soon be mixed in with everyone else. It was the same thing every year.

He found it slightly sickening that all of those adults and children had absolutely no responsibility for two weeks or longer while they stayed. He had to work non-stop, regardless of whether he was in school or not. He had more responsibility than most people his age.

As his eyes traveled around the resort's property, he looked back down at the docks and saw a girl leaning against the small pier. Her body was slim and she was dressed in a pair of jeans and an old tee shirt. Derek knew she wasn't a local, but she didn't look like she belonged to the resort either.

Her hair was flying against the wind as she looked out onto the ocean. There was a small notebook in her hand and she was holding it close to her body. Even from afar, Derek could tell that she was thinking about something, almost searching for something. He didn't think he'd seen anyone with half a brain come into that resort for years.

"Derek! Come on, we're already late. Your mother is going to throw a fit!" an older man hollered from the doors of the fishing market.

Derek snapped himself back into reality and hurried up the slight hill to the fishing market. His father and him placed all of their fishing gear in the back of their old blue beat-up truck.

They got in the car and Derek looked over at his father as they slowly made their way home. His father was getting old, but he was a very kind man. His hair had long since gone from salt and pepper to snow white. His body appeared weak, but Derek knew his father was stronger than most men on the island. He shared his father's eyes, which was probably the only thing that could be deceiving of his age. The blueness of his eyes resembled the sea surrounding them and changed just as the weather did from a cool, soft blue to a deep, dark storm.

His father had been born and raised on this island, inhabiting the same house his entire life. His life was respectable and he was proud of it, but it was simple. He was a fisherman. The resort depended on him and his buddies to be able to feed not only the island's yearly residents, but also the people who came solely for vacations.

He was the kind of guy that everyone waved to when they drove down the street. The kind of guy that everyone loved. Derek was proud to say that Andrew Shepherd was his father, but that didn't stop him from dreaming of a better life. He loved to fish just as much as his father did. He'd been doing it his entire life and he didn't think he would be able to go a week without stepping onto that boat and floating with the sea breeze. Despite this love, he'd held a desire for more his entire life.

He wanted to get off this island and explore the rest of the world. He wanted to do what no one in his family had done and go to college. He wanted to make something of himself, something much bigger than the island fisherman.

The old truck bumped up and down as they turned onto the old gravel driveway. His father turned off the engine, allowing the car to emit the noise that reminded them the truck's real age.

Derek opened the door and looked up at his home. The house had once been the best in the town, but that was a before Derek's time and every year it became just a little bit more rundown. Derek did his best to fix it up for his mother and sisters, but there was only so much he could do.

The steps creaked as he made his way up to the porch and the front door let out a high-pitched scream whenever opened. The sounds were almost comforting to him after a long day on the ocean. They meant a nice shower, a good meal, and sleep. They meant home.


	2. Chapter 2

His alarm went off the next morning before the sun rose and he was showered and dressed by five. Finding his way down the creaking wooden stairs in the dark was a habit that he'd perfected, followed by grabbing some fruit and juice for breakfast. It was his daily routine in the summer time, and he'd perfected it years ago. Breakfast was followed by started the coffee for his father, him not being too much of a coffee drinker himself. Then he grabbed the paper and read it until his old man made it down the stairs and was ready to go.

They headed out as the sun finally began to break through the horizon, drawing hues of pink and purple against the dark blue and gray sky. The air was damp and fresh, crisp against their breath. Father and son would first go to the old rusted shed and pull out the supplies that they'd just put away the night before. Bait, nets, and the like were then put in the back of the old truck, the routine carried out silently as the morning played out it's own soundtrack. The wind blew through the thick trees that lined their street, almost masking the ocean from their sight. The gravel crunching beneath them was constant, as they followed the path between the shed and the truck.

Soon enough, they were all packed and ready for another day on the water. They climbed into the beat-up truck, the tires crunching the gravel more forcefully than they had as it racketed along the rough road to the pier. After a few minutes drive, they reached their destination at the water. His father immediately began to unload, while Derek paused with the truck door open, his eye caught on the market's porch. His eyebrow's ruffled slightly as his eyes crinkled against the bright sunrise, watching as a girl sat on one of the benches, a shawl loosely wrapped around her body. She was cuddled close together, a notebook in her lap as her pen rushed along the page.

"Derek? Come on, the fish don't catch themselves," Andrew said as he handed the red case of bait to Derek. Derek took it out of his father's hands and shut his door, turning to the water and heading to the boat. Andrew looked back and saw what had caught his son's attention. He shook his head before grabbing a few nets and following Derek's trail.

After emptying the truck, Andrew began to get ready to leave the pier on their small, old boat. She had been painted a dark blue years ago, reminiscent of the recognizable family eye. 'The Storm's Eye,' had been elegantly painted in a somewhat cursive white writing on each side, making it even more perfect for their family.

Derek stepped into the boat as his father looked up at him, "You might want to tell her that Tanner won't appreciate her hanging out there like that," Andrew said casually in his deep voice.

"What?" Derek asked as he stood up straight and looked at his father, caught off guard by his father's remark.

"The girl," he supplied, gesturing up the pier, "She's sitting in front of Tanner's store. That man has only turned colder in his years and I'd hate for her morning to be ruined."

Derek began to untie the boat, turning away from his father. "I don't even know her," he responded meaninglessly.

"I didn't ask if you knew her," Andrew responded. "But, fine. If you want to subject her to Tanner's anger, that's fine by me," he said carelessly as he crossed the boat.

"If she would stay on the resort like she belongs then she wouldn't be in the situation to begin with, now would she?"

Andrew chuckled at his son's rhetorical question, "You can't hate everyone who steps foot on that resort. Money and leisure does not promise happiness."

Derek rolled his eyes, "Well, it sure does help."


	3. Chapter 3

Midday Derek walked along the pier as his father stayed with the boat. They were done fishing for the day and his father was ready to work with his brother at the Fisherman's Market, the best seafood restaurant on and off the island, regardless of the high-class resort next-door.

He looked up at the docks and once again, he found the same girl, the same notebook in her hands. She wasn't writing in it as she had been this morning, but she was clutching it tightly. Derek began to place things back into the bed of the truck as he watched her carefully. She left her spot on the docks and precariously walked along the edge of the water where the earth began to slant downward.

Finishing his job, he closed the trunk and looked back at her, crossing his arms against his defined chest and leaning against the side of the blue truck. He watched as she lifted her arms away from her body slightly, offering herself some balance as she made her way to the slick silver rocks that were collected at the bottom off the small cliff that marked the boundary of the resort. The rocks led down to the smooth sand and the ocean, but she continued to walk across the rocks, smoothed over some by the tides. As she reached one of the bigger flatter ones, she sat down, her legs crossed at her side. She looked out at the ocean, an intriguing expression across her face.

Derek swung the metal key ring that held the keys to the truck around his index finger before finally dropping them in his pocket and stepping away from the truck. He walked along the low grass that had been sprinkled with sand throughout the years. Silently, he walked down to the beach, choosing a safer path than she had. Sticking his hands in his pocket, he continued in her direction until he reached what he considered a safe distance. He cocked his head to the left a little; watching as the sunlight caught the gold in her perfectly, shooting the color through the air. The crystal blue sky accented her yellow top, a loose semi-transparent white skirt around her waist, covering a bathing suit.

"I wouldn't suggest sitting there for too long, the tide gets pretty high soon," he said, catching her attention immediately. She looked alarmed and embarrassed, slamming her simple purple notebook shut and sliding the pen into the rings.

Her eyes continued to widen as she took sight of his body stepping closer to her, "I... uh, I was just looking for some peace."

"Understandable," he responded as he stepped onto one of the rocks in front of her, "You from the resort?" he asked, nodding up towards the cliff.

"Is it that obvious?" she asked, sounding slightly annoyed as she chaotically scrambled to her feet. Trying to gain balance, she adjusted her left foot, landing herself in a whole between the rocks. Derek reached out for her, his hands wrapping around her small arms and catching her before she fell against the rocks.

"You alright?" he asked concerned as he helped pull her up, her face cringing when her ankle moved. She didn't answer at first, but he guided her to the sand, watching her slight limp. "You should sit down," he instructed, but was interrupted by her immediate protest.

"No, no, I'm fine. I swear, I'm fine, really," she rushed through her words quickly as she tried to hide the pain her face portrayed.

He laughed at her act and set her down gently in the sand against her wishes, "It's your ankle, isn't it?" he asked without another word from her.

She looked up at him carefully and knew she recognized him from before. She'd seen him a few times, probably before he ever noticed her. He looked strong and stable, used to the nature of the island. Even if she hadn't seen him working on the docks she would have guessed he was a local. His demeanor seemed too laid-back and relaxed for him to belong to the hoity-toity resort that she was currently attempting to escape from.

"Let me see it," he said, leaving no room for question, despite the fact they were strangers. His hand straightened her leg carefully and she watched as his fingers lightly touched her skin on her lower leg, barely touching her skin as his hand drifted down to her ankle. "It looks like it's already beginning to swell. You definitely twisted it pretty bad, most likely sprained it. Doesn't look like anything is broken," he said as he examined her ankle, not looking up at her at all.

Her eyes clouded in a way he had never seen before when he finally did look up at her and her lips were pursed together lightly in thought, preventing her from speaking. "How bad is the pain?"

"I've never been one to complain," she answered, avoiding his question as she absently brushed her bangs away from her face before placing her hand behind her to support her body.

He shook his head as he pulled himself up into a squatting position, "It's not complaining if someone asks," he responded, countering her dodge.

"On a scale of one to ten?" she asked, raising her eyebrow slightly at him, "Probably a three, but I've felt worse and have been fine."

As she finished her sentence, she began to get up, but felt his hand on her shoulder. "If you pretend you're fine when you're not, you are just going to injure yourself even more."

She dejectedly placed her bottom back in the sand and glared up at him, "I don't even know you and you are telling me what to do."

"No," he disputed, standing up and brushing the sand off his hands and jeans, "I'm just suggesting. If you want to walk across those rocks and then up the uneven hill to your stuck up resort on a sprained ankle, be my guest. I'll just walk back to my truck, get in and go home guilt-free," he said, looking down at her as he placed his hands in his pockets again. He looked up at the sky for a moment before speaking to her again, "Or, you can get over your self-declared independence and let me help you off the beach, get you some ice before it swells too bad, and drive you back to your stuck up resort." He gave her a small smile and shrugged, "Your choice."

She looked down at her ankle and sighed until she noticed his hand reaching out to her. Her eyes traveled back up to him and he gave her an encouraging smile, "Fine," she muttered as she took his hand and he helped her up.

"Don't put any pressure on it," he instructed as he wrapped her arm around his neck. "Hold still for a second and I'll grab your notebook," he said, bending down as she still leaned on him for support. Her notebook in one hand, he stood up straight again and began to guide her across the beach.

About five or six steps, he had to stop and laugh, "If you are so severely lacking in balance, why did you attempt to walk across the rocks anyways?"

She rolled her eyes at him, "I'd like to see you hop across this sand on one ankle."

He shrugged, "Well, you could, but then that would only leave two legs between the two of us and I'm not sure that would do us very much good."

"Smart ass," she mumbled loud enough for him to hear as she determinedly tried to take another step.

He chuckled again as she stumbled slightly and he caught her, supporting her into an upright position, "You are very ungrateful."

"I am not," she snapped, clearly frustrated, "I just obviously don't have much to be grateful considering you're laughing at me." He laughed again before holding her notebook out to her. She looked at it and then back up at him, "You expect me to carry that too?"

"Just take it," he said. She hesitated for a moment before finally taking it. Without any warning, he easily lifted her up into his arms, making her squeal.

"Put me down!" she ordered, a stern face staring at him.

He just rolled his eyes and began to walk across the beach at a much faster pace than they had been before. She continued to protest, but he just ignored her until she finally gave up, crossed her arms, and huffed to herself.

"Yep, you're ungrateful," he chuckled as he finally reached the grass and began to head over to his truck.

"People are watching us," she said as she looked over at the market and then quickly turned away, "People are watching us, watching you carry me to your truck and I don't even know who you are. You don't know my name, and I don't know your name. And you're carrying me, ordering me around, like… like you know me or something!"

"Do you ramble when you're nervous?" he asked with a smirk on his face.

"No!" she snapped quickly.

He laughed, "I'll take that as a yes than."

"Don't you even care that people are watching us?" she asked quietly, hoping no one heard her minor freak out.

"Nope," he answered shortly.

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Are you five or something?" he asked jokingly before he reached the truck, "Okay, I'm going to put you down. Just lean against the side of truck until I can get my keys out, okay?"

She nodded as he gently placed her down on her right foot, her left knee bent to keep her left ankle off the ground. She leaned against the truck as she looked at it, noticing it's paled and peeled paint and the blue that it once was. Derek pulled his keys out and unlocked the truck, throwing some things in a small space behind the seats before looking back over at her. "I'll just help you in the car, okay?"

"Okay," she said as he wrapped her arm around his neck and she hopped a few steps before he placed her on the seat. She climbed the rest of the way into the truck successfully on her own, swinging her legs into the car and adjusting her position.

Derek closed her door before crossing in front of the old truck and opening his own seat and climbing in. He was about to put the key in the ignition when she stopped him, "Wait."

He turned and looked at her strangely, "What?"

"I don't even know your name and you are about to drive me. I shouldn't even be in this truck. Didn't your mother ever tell you not to talk to strangers?" she began to ramble again, slowly gaining speed, but his laugh stopped her.

"Fine," he said as he offered his hand, "Derek."

"That's all I get? A first name? Secretive are we?" she asked, a little sass in her voice.

"I don't hear you offering up any information, not even your first name," he commented.

"Fine," she said, taking his hand and shaking it, "Meredith."

"Okay, now can I drive, Meredith?" he asked, purposely using her name. She nodded as she pulled on her seatbelt. He followed her example before putting the key in the ignition and pulling away from the pier and back on to the road. "I don't care because they are all a bunch of locals who don't know the first thing about who I am."

"What?" Meredith asked as she turned to look at him.

Derek adjusted gears as he turned right and looked back at her, "You asked me why I didn't care that those people were looking at us."

"Oh," she answered quietly, "Well, I don't know the first thing about who you are either."

"And I don't know anything about you either," he responded as he relaxed into the worn seat of the truck.

"I guess it's even then," she shrugged.

"I guess so," Derek agreed.


	4. Chapter 4

Derek pulled off the dirt road onto the gravel driveway as Meredith took in the sight of his house. It had two porches in the front, one leading to the living room and the other to the kitchen. A room that had turned into his sister and her husband's when they moved back home to help the family separated them. The house was two stories, but it was still modest and small. Years ago, when the paint was fresh and the stones new, it had been the family's pride and joy. That, however, was generations ago, and now the house wasn't much of anything in Derek's eyes.

"Sorry it isn't anything like what you're used to," Derek remarked as he turned off the car.

Meredith narrowed her eyes as she started to snap back insulted, but she stopped herself, "I think the resort gives you the wrong idea."

"Or you could be in denial," Derek said as he unbuckled himself and hopped out of the car. Crossing it, he opened her door and held his hand out for her to grab. She looked at it for a moment before her eyes glanced up at him, "What?" he asked. "Fine, you can walk up the steps to my house and find the way to the kitchen yourself." He shrugged and took a step back.

She swung her legs over the side of the seat and climbed out of the truck, holding all of her weight on her right foot. The second she attempted to put weight on her left, she cringed and Derek was at her side. He grabbed her waist and laughed at her, "You are very stubborn, aren't you?"

"Am not," she countered.

"You just have to put your hand in the fire before you believe it's hot," he joked, shaking his head as he helped her across the grass.

"Derek Shepherd! What did you do to that poor girl?!" a heavy-set woman asked as she came hurrying down the porch, a broom in her hand. "I swear, Derek," she muttered to herself as she met them.

"I didn't do anything, Ma," Derek said, brushing her off as he continued to help Meredith across the grass and up the porch.

"Oh, you poor thing," she said looking at Meredith, "I'm going to get you some ice or some frozen peas. We must have something," she continued as she led them into the kitchen.

Derek entered his house and Meredith took in the sight of the quaint kitchen. The floor was wooden, the table and chairs were as well. Everything looked well taken care of and clean, much of the decoration seemed slightly antique. "Come here," Derek said quietly pulling out one of the chairs and sitting her down. He pulled over another chair and gently lifted her leg, placing her ankle on the cushion.

"Thanks," Meredith said quietly as she continued to look around and take everything in, quietly sliding her bracelet up and down her wrist, playing with it in anyway she could.

Derek smiled and walked over to where his Mom was at the sink. He took the pack of ice from her and whispered something to her. She gave him a knowing glance before looking at Meredith, smiling, and leaving the room. Derek walked back over to Meredith and pulled over another chair for him, placing the ice delicately on her ankle, making sure it was on the spot that was swollen.

Meredith watched him, slightly amused. "What was that?" she asked with a smile on her face when he looked up at him.

"What was what?"

"That thing, with your Mom," she asked, looking over to the sink where the scene had taken place.

"Nothing," Derek mumbled as he stood up.

"Uh-huh," Meredith agreed sarcastically, "You know, this ice thing, it's really cold."

"Really?" Derek asked sarcastically, "I'm getting you a towel or something to wrap around it."

Meredith smiled, "Thanks. Really, I mean, we don't even know each other and you're being really nice. Well, you're a smart ass, but you're being nice for a smart ass."

Derek laughed as he returned to her side with a clean dishcloth. He removed the ice and wrapped the cloth around it before placing it back on her ankle. "Is that what passes for a compliment where you're from?"

"You don't even know where I'm from," she answered, "Like I said, we don't even know each other."

"I know you're Meredith and you know I'm Derek. You've met my mother and you're currently sitting in my kitchen. I think we know each other a little bit better than you think," Derek said as he relaxed into the chair, crossing his arms in front of him and placing his eyes on her.

She gave him a frustrated sigh in response to his words, "That's not what I meant. We don't really know each other. I just met you today. I can't know you. Not that quickly."

"Okay."

"Okay?" Meredith asked confused.

Derek gave her an amused smile, "What, am I not aloud to agree with you?"

"No, you can," Meredith said, still a little surprised that he had, "You just, usually don't."

"Well, if you know what I usually do, then you do know me," he said, that stupid smirk still on his face.

"Smart ass," Meredith mumbled, crossing her arms in front of her chest and looking in the opposite direction.

Derek laughed, "I told you that you knew me."


	5. Chapter 5

"Who are you?"

Meredith's eyes opened as she felt herself being poked. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the light as she looked at a boy who was bent over in front of her.

"Who are you?" he asked again.

Meredith slowly sat up, confusing crossing over her as she looked around the room she was in. She didn't remember how she got here at all.

"Who are you?" he asked again, getting increasingly annoying.

"Who are you?" Meredith shot back asking him the same question.

"I'm Benjamin Andrew Daniels," the little brown haired boy said proudly. "But who are you?"

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to talk to strangers?" Meredith asked as she looked down at her ankle, seeing that the swelling had gone down some.

He nodded enthusiastically, "But you aren't a stranger," he informed her, "You're in my house and you know my name!"

"Ben, are you doing exactly what I told you not to?" Derek asked as he walked into the room, looking down at the little boy.

He looked up at Derek, his eyes wide open, "Uh… no?"

"I believe you've been caught red handed," he said as he lifted the small boy into his arms, "I told you to let her sleep."

"But she was making a funny noise," he complained, looking at Meredith funny.

Derek just laughed as Meredith turned an embarrassing color of red. He turned around with the little boy in his hands and led him out to the hallway. Placing him down on the floor, Derek bent down to his level, "Why don't you go play with your toys in your room, okay?"

"Uncle Derek, what's wrong with her?" he asked in a rather large whisper as he looking past Derek to see Meredith.

Derek tried his best to stifle his laugh, "Ben, nothing is wrong with her. Just go to your room and play."

"Fine," the boy said dejectedly before he hurried up the stairs to his room.

Standing back up, Derek turned around and looked at Meredith for a moment before breaking into a fit of laughter. Meredith immediately chucked a pillow at him from the couch and started saying a myriad of things to shut him up. When he finally did, he walked over to her and looked down at her on the couch, a smile on his face, "How do you feel?"

"Oh, now you care," she said as she crossed her arms and threw herself back down on the couch.

"Dramatic, much?" he asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Only when I want to be," she said sassily.

Derek carefully sat down on the couch, his eyes still on her, "Seriously, how do you feel?"

She looked at him for a moment before saying anything, "Did you drug me or something? Cause I seriously don't remember how I got here."

"No, I didn't drug you per say," Derek answered.

"You didn't 'per say?'" Meredith asked suspiciously, using air quotes as she spoke.

"Saying that I drugged you implies that it was against your will," he explained cockily, "You were in some pain, so my Mom gave you some ibuprofen and it knocked you out. I carried you in here when you started to get drowsy."

"You carried me again?" she asked, attempting to be annoyed, but something in her eyes betrayed her.

"Yeah," Derek answered quickly before standing up. He walked over to a table in the hallway, picked something up, and came back over to Meredith. "It's getting late, so I should probably take you home soon."

Meredith nodded, "Yeah."

"I can wrap your ankle for you if you want," Derek said, waiting for a sign of her approval before he sat down and began to gently wrap her ankle.

After nodding, she watched his movements carefully. "You're being nice."

"Yes."

"You're being nice and you aren't being a smart ass," she said carefully, "Are you allowed to do that?"

Derek shrugged, "I guess I am."

Meredith was surprised how gentle he was with her. He'd been that way all day. Something struck her differently about him than the others on the island. Aside from his deep resentment for everything dealing with the island, there was another side of him that she was different. Not just from people on the island, but just different.

Standing up again he offered her his hand, "You can try to walk if you want, but I'd suggest that you don't put any pressure on it and just let my help you."

Meredith nodded and slipped her hand into his, "Okay, Derek."


	6. Chapter 6

Silently, Derek drove Meredith down narrow back roads, leading to the resort. He knew it was technically the longer route, but he had come to avoid the main road they'd paved solely for resort traffic. He didn't like the busyness of it, even if the night was growing and the traffic would have thinned out by now.

Every once in awhile, he'd steal a glance at Meredith, but never caught her eyes. She was watching the scenery intently, almost like she was mesmerizing it. Something about her told him that he wasn't as high-class as the resort and it's usual guests tend to be. She seemed to be, for lack of a better description, different. And Derek found it absolutely captivating.

The resort came into view, along with the lights and noise that seemed attached. The night and the moon's glow intensified the main buildings architecture, as the small garden lights accentuated the gardens that decorated the drive. The old beat up truck was immensely out of place, Derek along with it. Meredith's eyes didn't sparkle when the captivating beauty of the resort came into view as most girls' eyes did. It seemed to be a meaningless backdrop for her life, something she could care less about.

Approaching the valet, a man dressed in a sharp black tuxedo noticed the strange truck, disapproval crossing his face. As Derek slowly came to a stop at the wide tan steps leading to the entrance, the man's face seemed to relax. He stepped closer to the truck, immediately opening Meredith's door and holding his gloved hand out for her, "Miss Grey, we've been expecting your return," taking sight of the truck he looked at her and added, "We would have been pleasured to provide you with more suitable transportation."

"Oh no, I was fine," Meredith answered, placing her hand in his. A different person seemed to intrude into her body, a different type of class and grace consuming her. For a moment, it seemed that she belonged at this high-class resort and not with him.

"Very well then," the man said as he began to help her out of the truck, just then taking notice of her ankle, "Miss, what exactly happened?"

"I'm fine, trust me, it was just a small accident on the beach. Derek here was kind enough to help me," she explained, sneaking a glance of Derek. The slight twinkle in her eye was the equivalent of a conversation, exposing her phony deportment and promising him her previous personality had been real.

The man didn't seem pleased at all, but he tried to hide the dismay from his voice and face, but most of all from Meredith. "Your Mother is expecting you in the ballroom in twenty minutes. Your sister is already getting ready. She mentioned that your gown in awaiting you on your bed," he informed her as he closed the door after her exit.

She nodded in response, her dejected spirit obvious to Derek. Turning back to Derek, her sprits lifted again with a glowing smile. "Thanks for taking care of me, Derek," she said quietly, the man turning away from her giving them false privacy.

"Any time," Derek answered, his hands still on the steering wheel before him. He gave her a small smile, slightly uncomfortable to do anything else.

Meredith understood his hesitancy, but she just stepped closer to the truck, careful of her ankle. She rested her hands on the bottom of the open window, her head entering the car, "I'll see you around, okay?"

Derek took her words more of a question than a statement, vulnerability and hope crossing her numinous eyes. "Definitely," Derek promised, a warmer smile crossing his features and reaching his eyes.

"Miss Grey," the man said, his back still to them. His voice was stern and authoritative, "You wouldn't want to keep your Mother waiting."

Meredith rolled her eyes in Derek's direction, a small chuckle leaving his lips. She looked back up at him for a moment, "I better go. I'll see you."

Before Derek could respond she turned around and the man began to help her up the tan steps towards the rather large doors that held a whole other world behind them. At the top of the steps, he snuck a glance over his shoulders at Derek, the scowl holding many messages beneath. Without needing any other sign, Derek put the truck back in drive and began down the long path back to the road, the mysterious and contradicting girl he'd met today never leaving his mind.


	7. Chapter 7

After icing her weak ankle again, Meredith pulled herself off of her king-sized bed and walked out to her balcony. She reached the small railing and placed her small hands on it, looking out at the water. In the distance, she could see small traces of the city. Absently, she let her eyes drift down to the docks and the rocks on the beach. A smile grazed her face before a knock at her door tore it away.

"Miss Grey, are you almost ready?" a voice on the other side asked, penetrating her sought after silence.

Meredith pulled her silk robe closer to her body as she walked back into her room, closing the French doors behind her, "Uh, almost," she answered hesitantly.

"Your Mother is waiting," a women informed her, echoing the words Meredith heard almost everyday of her life, "She doesn't want to be late to the banquet."

"Tell her to go without me," Meredith said before she finally opened the door, a smiling women waiting on the other side.

The older woman gave Meredith a stern, knowing face, "Now, you know I would, but then I may lose my job and then we both would have to suffer a very unpleasant night."

Meredith smiled and opened the door wider, letting the woman in, "I don't want to go."

The woman shrugged, "You never do," she said as she crossed the room to Meredith's bed. Her dress was still lying against the slightly ruffled comforter, "Come on, suck it up and get dressed. The sooner it starts, the sooner it'll be over."

Meredith shook her head, "No, the more I avoid, the less time I'll have to spend with them."

"Stop being whiny," the woman added as she picked up the dress and gave Meredith another look, "What are you waiting for? You need to get dressed. No point in being bashful now, I only changed your diapers since birth."

"I'm not bashful, I just don't want to go," Meredith continued, depositing herself on her bed, her arms crossed against her chest.

The woman rolled her eyes, "Well, I don't want to tend to two spoiled brats, but I do it. Life sucks for everyone, you're just luck enough to endure it while staying in a five-star resort. Now, suck it up and get dressed!"

"Fine," Meredith complied with a scowl, the woman giving her a satisfied smile as she handed over the dark red dress.

* * *

Meredith looked at her reflection in the full length mirror, assessing herself. She sighed and turned around, "April, I don't like it."

The older woman looked up from the clothes she was folding and rolled her eyes, "You look gorgeous. Stop complaining, put your shoes on, and get down there before your Mother throws a fit," April ordered, walking over to Meredith's closet to hang a few things up.

Meredith didn't verbally protest, knowing the reason she didn't like the dress. Her mother bought it. She rsvped to the party, picked out the dress, and made Meredith wear it. That's the way things worked, especially in the summer. During the school year, Meredith could get herself out of most of the extravagant events. At the private school her sister and her attended, she was taking the hardest classes and on the track for valedictorian. Not to mention she volunteered at the hospital, originally against her will, but she's grown to like it over time. She also works, just because she refuses to ask her mother for money for anything that she actually wants. Not that her mother would give it to her. Her mother didn't usually approve of the things she was interested in. Meredith wasn't a cookie cutter daughter, so in her mother's eyes, she was a failure.

Walking over to her closest, Meredith looked at her options of shoes. The floor length dress didn't show her feet, but she knew her mother wanted in heels. Her sprained ankle prevented that, so she instead chose semi-formal flats that her mother had bought for some other event. They didn't exactly go with the dress, but in all reality, Meredith could seriously not have cared less.

"If you don't get your scrawny butt down there, I'm going to start bombarding you with questions," April warned as she passed Meredith, walking over to the small table next to the balcony.

Meredith walked over to the table and sat down, watching as April arranged the fresh flowers delicately, "You know, there are people paid at the resort to do things like that."

"Yes, but last year they gave your mother some flowers she was allergic too. Now, I've been asked to handle all of the flowers personally," April answered before wiping her hands on the white apron she was wearing. She looked up at Meredith, "And you know we wouldn't want a repeat of last years reaction."

"That's definitely true," Meredith answered in remembrance.

April pulled out one of the other chairs at the table and sat down with Meredith, "Since you obviously don't seem in a hurry to leave, I suppose I can start asking questions now."

Meredith smiled a little, "I guess you're right, but I'm not sure what you plan on asking about."

"Oh, just tall, dark, and handsome," April said, eyeing Meredith knowingly.

Meredith blushed before standing up and crossing the room, busing herself with her jewelry, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Your face says you do," April commented, crossing her legs in front of her. Meredith didn't respond and April let her simmer in her own thoughts for a few moments, before continuing. "You know what your Mother would do if she found out," April said carefully, her voice full of warning.

Meredith placed her brush back down on her dresser as she looked at herself carefully in the mirror, trying to pretend like she had no idea what April was talking about. "He just helped me. I sprained my ankle. Nothing happened."

"I know," April answered before pausing to stand up. She crossed the room and stopped at Meredith, "It's the summer before you go to college Meredith. You're on a fairly romantic resort with a bunch of locals who have probably never seen someone like you. Be careful. If not for your sake, for his." Once her words were finished, she continued across the room to the door. Placing her hand on the knob, she turned back to Meredith, "I'm sure Henry will be up here to personally escort you on your Mother's orders, so be ready."

Meredith stayed silent and April left, leaving Meredith to her own thoughts and memories until the man who had taken her from Derek's car arrived to take her downstairs. Despite her hate for extravagant parties, this one at least seemed to serve as some sort of a distraction.


	8. Chapter 8

Derek finished tying the boat to the dock before he grabbed the coolers and placed them on the wet wood. He was sweating from the summer sun and more exhausted than he had been in awhile. The girl he'd met yesterday, _Meredith_, had been running through his mind all night and day. When he'd arrived at the docks that morning, he looked to where she'd been the morning before, but she wasn't there. He had his eye out for her the entire time they were loading things onto the boat, but he never saw her. His mind drifted while he was on the boat today, hoping to see her when he arrived back on shore. When they finished up for the day, she was still nowhere to be seen.

"It's only one day," Andrew said as he picked up one of the coolers, formally filled with bottles of water.

Derek stopped what he was doing and looked up from the boat. "What?" he asked as he squinted his eyes in the sunlight.

"The girl, it's only been one day since you met her. Give her some time," he shrugged before heading down the dock towards their truck and filling the bed.

Once Derek was finished, he climbed out of the boat and grabbed the last few things on the dock before heading over to the truck as well. "I wasn't thinking about her," Derek said, the moment he was in his father's earshot.

Andrew just shook his head, not wanting to fight with his stubborn son. His wife had spent all night trying to get information out of their boy once he'd returned from taking her home, but he refused to budge. He kept saying she was "Just a girl, no one special." Andrew found it almost comical how much his son took after him when he was a teenager. "Derek, why don't you go up to the store a buy some milk for your mother?"

"Okay," Derek agreed, a little confused by his request. As far as he knew, they had milk that morning.

Beyond the docks, there is a long row of old wooden one-story buildings all connected. A porch runs in front of them all, the railing as worn out as the rest of the tattered wood. Benches were placed in between the doors to the different stores, but few people actually used them. There was a fishing supplies store, a fishing market, a small restaurant, and a store with an ice-cream parlor inside. For most other things, people had to go to the mainland to buy.

Derek walked up to the old row of stores, heading over to Gregory's. The store was small, but it had the main necessities as well as some of the best ice cream money could buy. Derek headed over to the ice cream, thinking about getting some for himself when he noticed someone sitting off to the left. There weren't many chairs and tables in the shop, but Gregory had set up a small place for people to enjoy their ice cream on rainy days.

She was sitting on a booth, her back on the wall with her legs pulled up to her chin. A small notebook was angled on the table towards her as she wrote across the pages in curly, loopy handwriting. She had a long ago empty smoothie cup on her left, forgotten by her mind entirely.

Without too much thought, he walked over to her and stopped at the end of her booth. He didn't really know what to say, but he knew he should say something. She didn't even notice him while he stood there hesitating, only a few feet away from her. Finally coming up with something, he decided to speak up, "Want some ice cream?" he asked lamely, wishing he could hit himself for it afterwards. Since when did he care so much about the impression he was making on a girl?

Her head snapped up in surprise as she slammed her notebook closed, "Oh, I thought I was the only one in here," she mumbled as she dropped her legs to the ground and sat up straight.

He laughed a little at her nervousness, even though he was feeling it as well. "You probably were for a while. Locals don't usually go shopping very often unless it's either early morning or raining. Too many people have to work."

"Oh," she said quietly, her hands gripping her notebook close to her.

"So," Derek continued, placing his hands in his pants pockets, "Can I treat you to some ice cream?"

"Uh, sure," Meredith said, still slightly embarrassed. He could have been watching her for hours and she would never have noticed. Not to mention, she knew she looked like crap since she barely cared enough to brush her hair this morning. Stupid overly extravagant parties tend to do that to her.

Derek smiled, "What's your favorite flavor?"

"Strawberry," she answered with a small smile as she started to relax.

"Okay," Derek answered as he walked over to the ice cream counter and rang a small bell to get Gregory or one of his employee's attention.

After attaining their ice cream scoops, Derek walked back over to the small booth and handed Meredith her cone. Derek sat down across from her as she slid her notebook into her lap. "Have something to hide?" Derek asked as she licked her ice cream cone.

"Maybe," she answered casually. "Don't you?"

Derek shrugged, "I don't think so."

"So if you're a local, why exactly do all the other locals know nothing about you? Are you always as brooding and mysterious as you seem?" Meredith asked, placing her elbows on the small table and leaning forward a little.

"People around here are too quick to judge. They all live on stereotypes. Since I'm not just like every other guy my age around here, half of them take issue with me," Derek said, not seeming like it mattered much to me.

Meredith smiled, "Maybe you're giving yourself too much credit. What makes you so much different from all the other boys around here?"

"Maybe, one day, you'll find out," Derek said, winking at her before smiling.


	9. Chapter 9

The two teenagers left the grocery store, the unneeded milk completely forgotten. They walked lazily up and down the old wooden porch that connected the stores, just talking about everything and anything. A few people gave them strange looks, especially the people that had seen them the day before. Meredith noticed that Derek didn't give them the time of day, even though she felt increasingly small under their eyes.

Derek stopped at the end of the porch instead of turning around like they had about ten other times. He leaned against the support beam and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Meredith stood in front of him, her head tilted as she watched him. She could tell he was thinking.

"So, do you have another one of those balls to go to tonight?" Derek asked, his blue eyes looking up at her.

"It wasn't a ball," she corrected. "Just a ridiculously luxurious party complete with revealing dressed, tuxedos, champagne, and stuck up rich people."

Derek laughed, "Remember, you are one of them."

"So not. I am not stuck up," she answered matter-of-factly.

Derek shrugged, "I think you can be."

"Really?" Meredith asked taking a few steps closer.

"I think so."

"What makes you say that?" Meredith persisted, taking another step closer to him.

"You have to answer my question first," Derek said, dodging her question. His arms fell to his side as he watched her come closer to him. Her daring smile was driving him crazy, her hips swinging as she moved.

"Even if I did have one, I'd rather be with you," she answered softly, her head titled to meet his eyes. Their bodies were dangerously close, but they both were hesitant to do anything, just waiting to see what the other would do.

Derek slipped his hand around hers and moved away from the support beam, stepping off the edge of the high edge of the porch He looked up at her, her arm stretched out between them. "Come on," he said, pulling her hand a little. "You have plans tonight."

"I do, do I?" Meredith asked as she jumped off.

Derek caught her carefully, surprising her a little. "You shouldn't be jumping on that ankle yet," he said, knowing the thoughts running through her mind. "And you do have plans. Plans with me."

Meredith smiled, "What if I don't want to have plans with you?"

"Oh, I think you do," Derek said, still holding her hand as he led her to the road.

"Where are you taking me?" Meredith giggled as Derek pulled her by the hand.

Derek stopped on the side of the road and let her catch up. "I'm not going to tell you, so you might as well stop asking."

"Are you not telling me because you want to continue this whole mysterious thing you have going or because you want an excuse to hold my hand?" she asked, her eyebrows wiggling in wit.

Derek shrugged and began walking again, "All of the above."

Luckily, he didn't pick up his speed again, instead leisurely walking on the side of the road, Meredith at his side and their hands clasped between them. The silence that fell between them was comfortable, but Meredith felt the urge to talk. She didn't even care what they talked about. She just wanted to know him, everything about him.

"So, there's like what, one school on this island?" she asked casually, trying to pretend like she wasn't digging for information.

"Yeah, one for all grades," he answered, his eyes looking up the road. "It's not too far from the resort."

Meredith noticed a far away look on his face, but she decided not to question it yet. "That must suck. Having all the young kids around," she continued, hoping he'd loosen up and talk more.

"It wasn't that bad, but I haven't gone there since seventh grade," he answered, finally looking at her.

"Cut school?" she joked.

"No," he shook his head, a hint of smile on his face, "I got a scholarship to a good private school on the mainland. Most people around me hate me for it and hate my parents for letting me take it. Especially anyone who works at the school. They act like we're insulting them. Even though all my sisters went to school here, they act like we think their education isn't good enough."

She could hear the anger in his voice, even though he tried to hide it. She decided not to ask anymore questions right now, hoping she'd chose a better topic than that next time.

"What about you?" he finally asked, showing his interest in her again.

"Prep school. My Mother wouldn't have had it any other way," she answered, rolling her eyes. Their pace slowed down and she caught his eyes, "It wasn't too bad though. School was kind of my escape, you know?"

Stopping, he gave her a small smile and squeezed her hand, "Yeah, I think I do." They stared at each other for a long time, wondering so many things about each other and what was to come, but Derek pulled them out of it before too long. Before squeezing her hand again he smiled wider, "Come on, we're going to miss it."

"Miss what?" she asked happily as he began pulling her again.

"Come on," he continued, them both breaking out into a run down a path, Derek leading them both away from the road.


	10. Chapter 10

Meredith laughed as Derek pulled her through a line of trees, this boyish grin on his face that she'd never seen before

Meredith laughed as Derek pulled her through a line of trees, this boyish grin on his face that she'd never seen before. "Where in the world are we going?"

"You never learn to stop asking questions, do you?" Derek asked, looking at her over his shoulder.

"It would be so incredibly boring if I did," she joked, her voice dying down when they immerged from the trees.

A strip of beach appeared before them, cut off by two cliffs about a fourth of a mile apart. The sand was soft, but the water even more inviting. The waves were gentle, barely lasting long enough to crash against the sand. Light blues glistened in the sky, giving away to a deeper color mixed with oranges and yellows.

"This is beautiful," Meredith said breathlessly, her hand still locked with Derek's. He watched as her whole face lit up, her eyes sparkling in the descending sky light. "I've been hear for over a week and I've never seen the sky like this."

"That's cause you can only really see it from here," he said, his eyes never leaving her. He didn't quite understand what was so intriguing about her, but he could tell she was different from the girls at his school and the locals, not that he spent that much time with either. She just seemed to fit. He could talk to her and feel totally comfortable, since the second they met. He'd never had that with anyone. He didn't even know it was possible.

He chuckled to himself when he realized that her eyes had yet to leave the sky despite the passing time. He gently guided her down the beach closer to the water, sitting down just beyond the tide's reach. He pulled her down with him, savoring her laughter as she landed in between his legs. He was surprised that she seemed hesitant to touch him, but when he loosely wrapped his arms around her, she relaxed into his chest, enjoying the feeling of their bodies together.

"This is so amazing," she whispered. She didn't even know why she did; there was no one in sight to hear her speak, but the moment and place seemed so intimate. She didn't want to ruin it with her big mouth.

He ran his hands down her arms until he reached her delicate fingers. She watched him play with each one, exploring them intensely. She was afraid to look at his face because she knew what he was making her feel was causing her to blush. After finishing one by one, Derek interlocked his fingers with her own, tucking their hands on her abdomen.

"I've never brought someone here before," Derek mused, the pad of his thumb rubbing against the skin on the back of her hand. His mind had long ago forgotten about the magnificent colors that were now falling beyond their sight.

Meredith could feel scruff from the side of his cheek against her ear. It scratched her slightly, but she loved it just because it was him. She found herself liking everything about him, especially the hoarseness that escaped from his deep voice when he whispered in her ear.

"Why me?" she inquired. They both knew that they had really only met; in fact, the thought was clear in both of their minds, but it didn't seem to have the significance it possibly should have. The only thing that really seemed to matter was the connection they felt and that it was mutually acknowledged.

"Why not?" he countered, yet his voice didn't sound the least bit challenging. It was almost a point in itself.

Derek finally looked up at the sky, noticing the grays and blues that were replacing the bright colors of the day. This moment, in between sunset and night, was probably his favorite. It was the time that people forgot about. The sky was dark, but there was still enough light to see. The breeze picked up a little, adding to the crashing waves that barely touched their feet. Sharing this with her, made it even better than he could have imagined.

"You're better than them," Derek whispered, his eyes mesmerized by the mosaic of colors in the water. Each plane of water held its own tint and shade until it crashed with another, mixing and adding once again to the myriad of hues.

He felt Meredith's body shiver in his arms, small goose bumps erupting against her skin. His arms tightened around her, hoping to share his own warmth with her. Her head turned to look at him, but she was met with only his distant gaze. He held it momentarily before looking at her, the warmth in his eyes enough to make her forgot about the breeze all together. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice quieter than before.

"The people at the resort who think that the world revolves around them. The people that think my family is less than them. The people that make you feel so out of place. You're better than them," Derek whispered, the conviction in his voice terrifying to her. He was already beginning to figure her out, when her family still had yet to start. How did things like that happen?

She knew that this was the moment that they were supposed to kiss. They were wrapped in each other, their heads turned to each other, their faces in close proximity. Regardless of all that, she knew it because she wanted to. She wanted to believe that the look in his eyes meant that he did to. They were supposed to share their first kiss, first of possibly many, right now under the descending sky, as the wind blew threw her air, but they didn't.

Meredith practically jumped out of Derek's arms, holding one of his hands still in her own. She looked down at him, his body reacting to the shock of her movement as he tried to readjust himself. "Come on," she insisted, pulling at his arm.

"What?" he asked, looking up at her curiously.

"Water."

Derek pulled himself off the ground, unsure of what to make of the moment that almost happened. Brushing the sand off his jeans, he looked at her again, "What?"

"Water," she repeated, a different smile on her face than before.

"Yes, we are on a island, implying that we are surrounded by water on all sides. Not to mention we are more specifically on a beach," he said, returning to their earlier banter-like conversations.

She rolled her eyes; not even needing to see the smirk she knew would be on his face. "No," she corrected. "We should go in the water."

"Why, exactly? You're already cold enough as it is and I don't see your little doorman liking it if you come back to the resort, soaking wet. It would actually be slightly suspicious," Derek winked.

"So? I don't care what they think. It was slightly suspicious for you to drag some girl no one around here knows down a dirt path to your private spot, but you did it anyways."

"I don't care about those people."

"Exactly!" Meredith said, slightly overenthusiastically. "Come on, please?"

"Why are you so adamant about this?"

"Because."

"Because why?" Derek continued, taking her other hand in his and pulling her body closer. They still weren't touching, but that didn't prevent the feeling of before returning as she felt his breath against her skin.

"I've never been swimming in an ocean before," she confessed quietly, almost ashamed of it. He couldn't understand why she was though. He really just wanted to laugh at her, but he didn't have the heart.

"Okay," he shrugged.

"Really?" she asked, her eyes brightening.

"Yeah, I'm still slightly surprised you even asked me for permission, though," Derek said as he pulled off his shoes.

"I was just being polite."

"I'm sure that's what it was," Derek remarked sarcastically as he pulled off his t-shirt.

She adverted her eyes for some schoolgirl reason, slipping off her own shoes. He unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them off, remaining only in his boxers. With her eyes on the ocean, she knew he was watching her, but she continued to pull off her tank top and unbutton her shorts. She didn't look at herself, almost as afraid of that as seeing the reaction on his face.

"Ready?"

Derek stepped closer to her, grabbing her hand and wrapping it in his own. "Ready," he agreed before they both took off running into the water, the waves splashing against their legs. As soon as it was deep enough, Meredith let go off his hand and dived under the water. Derek followed, completely enticed by her returned free spirit.

When they came up for air, their bodies were closer than Meredith had originally accounted for. Their breaths were shallow as water fell down both of their faces. As they remained still, the cool water began to get to her, causing her body to shiver slightly. Derek was hesitant to move, remembering her previous reaction to their intimacy, but he couldn't watch her freeze. He took a step closer to her, wrapping his arms around her enough to support her, but not holding their bodies locked together.

Meredith wrapped her arms around his neck, finding herself getting used to the feeling of them together. Their lips were dangerously close and once again, Meredith knew what was supposed to happen. They were supposed to kiss. It made sense and god, did she want to kiss him so bad, but she couldn't.

"I should probably get back to the resort," she whispered against his cheek.

"I guess so," Derek agreed despite the disappointment he felt.

He let her go and they walked back to shore, their hands loosely linked between them. Meredith felt the urge to explain what had happened twice to him, but she couldn't. She didn't know how and she felt that if she tried, it wouldn't turn out well for either of them, but especially for her. Instead, she just let them walk in silence to their clothes and get dressed. She couldn't understand it, but despite the slight awkwardness she'd created, this still felt like the most comfortable place she could be.


	11. Chapter 11

Meredith laughed as Derek pulled her through a line of trees, this boyish grin on his face that she'd never seen before

They walked back along the side of the road, Derek knowing exactly where he was going despite the increasing darkness. Neither had spoke since they left the water, even though they both had plenty to say. They didn't know how to explain what was going on. They'd just met. They shouldn't be feeling some of the things they have. They shouldn't even be talking. Derek couldn't get that out of his head. The locals hate him and his family enough as it is. If he starts dating a girl from the resort, things were only going to get worse. Besides the fact that he didn't even know how long she was going to be here. Or where she was from. He didn't know anything about her, yet could he do it over, they'd still be on that sand completely wrapped up in one another. 

"Look, I'm sorry," Derek said bluntly, surprising both of them with his words. 

Meredith stopped a look at him curiously. "You're sorry?" 

Derek sighed, running his hand through his wet and tangled hair. "Yes, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or anything. We just met. I get that. I'd completely understand if you now thought I was some perverted freak and never want to speak to me again. I'd get it. I'm just sorry." 

Meredith's eyes darted in different directions before landing on Derek, who was looking at the ground, waiting for some type of response. He expected her to run or scream or something, but she didn't do any of that. Instead, she grabbed his hands, making him look at her.

"You shouldn't be sorry. I don't think that you're a perverted freak. Well, you may be a freak, but not perverted," she said, smiling up at him.

"I am not a freak," he asserted, faking insult.

"Of course not," Meredith giggled. "Honestly, I should be sorry. I want to, I really want to, I just can't. And I know that makes absolutely no sense… like none, whatsoever, I just, I can't. I can't explain it right now, trust me, I've been trying to figure out a way to explain it to you in my head like this entire time along this stupid road that seems a lot longer when we're walking in silence than it did when we were being all flirty and happy-go-lucky and everything, but now, it's like really long and dark and I'm freezing and I couldn't talk because I felt all awkward because I'm a freak who can't even kiss the guy she really wants to kiss because…. Oh my god, I'm so shutting up now. You really need to tell me to shut up when I ramble. Otherwise, I'll just keep going and that's really embarrassing like right now and-"

"Meredith, I don't want you to shut up, but I'm going to tell you to anyways because if I don't, you'll probably hit me," Derek laughed, receiving a hit on his arm anyways. "Hey, don't injure you're ride home."

"What're you going to do? Leave me here?" Meredith challenged.

"Maybe. It'd be fun to see you trying to find your way around here in the dark, while I'd be home eating a warm dinner then taking a warm shower followed by sleeping in my warm, comfortable bed," Derek teased, causing her to laugh. He couldn't quite believe how much he absolutely loved that laugh.

"You're not very nice. I don't even know why I wanted to kiss you," Meredith joked, sticking her nose in the air and walking past him.

"I could remind you if you'd like," Derek whispered into her ear as he wrapped his arms around her. Their pace slowed, but they continued to barely take steps. She wrapped her arms in his, and he could tell she was thinking.

"I can't," she whispered.

"I know," Derek whispered, but he didn't. He knew, but he didn't understand. He wanted to believe that it was just because they barely knew each other, but he didn't think so. He could tell there was something else stopping her and it concerned him.


	12. Chapter 12

"It'd probably be better if you didn't drive me to front of the resort," Meredith said quietly, the wind flowing through her h

"It'd probably be better if you didn't drive me to front of the resort," Meredith said quietly, the wind flowing through her hair as they drove with the windows down.

"Oh, yeah, I get that," Derek answered, trying to pretend like he didn't feel second rate.

"No, I… I didn't mean it like that. It's just that I'm still wet. And so are you. If you just dropped me off at the docks, I could walk back up to the resort and get in through the back and get a shower with no one other than April noticing. Trust me, both of our lives would be a whole lot less complicated that way. But I mean, the docks are on the other side of resort, so you don't… you don't have to do that. I can just deal with Francis, I mean, he's just a doorman. It's not like he can actually do anything to me-"

"Mer," Derek chuckled, placing his hand on her thigh. "Calm down. I'll take you to the docks. I get it… I think."

Meredith groaned, "I'm so sorry, I swear I must be the weirdest girl you've ever gone out with. Not that we're going out or anything, just that we physically went somewhere outside together. But I really didn't mean to make any assumptions by saying that, I mean why would you want to date me anyways. I cant' even kiss you, which in itself is completely weird and makes me a little bit for of a freak-"

Derek squeezed her thigh gently, sending a jolt of electricity through her, "Mer, I think you'd be surprised to know that I would love to date you. You know, if you wouldn't mind dating a second class citizen, of course."

Meredith's head snapped in his direction, "Derek… I don't…. You're not a second-class citizen. I never. I didn't… You're really not."

"I'm just kidding. Why are you so tense? You usually can form coherent sentences around me. Not that I don't love your rambling, but that's all you've done since we got in the car. You need to relax."

Meredith sighed. "I'm trying. I'm really trying, it's just not easy."

"It's not easy to be relaxed around me?"

"It's not you, it's me. I'm just kind of a freak."

"You are not a freak."

Meredith scoffed. "Really? What girl has ever pushed you away that many times?"

"Well, okay, you may have a point there, but how many girls have I let push me away that many times without me giving up?"

"I don't know," Meredith shrugged. "I mean, are you going to?"

"Give up? I don't think so."

"Oh."

Meredith chose to ignore the blushing she was doing, but it was hard to hide it. She just hoped it was dark enough that Derek wouldn't notice. The thought of him seeing her blush just made her blush even more. And his hand wasn't helping. His hand was just slowly running up and down thigh. Not in a sexual way either, just in a comforting way that was making her feel all warm and safe inside. She'd never felt this way before. It was driving her insane inside and yet, she couldn't do anything about it.

"Well, what if… What if I had a past?"

Derek turned to her, a curious look on his face. "We all have pasts, Meredith. They make us who we are."

"What if I had one that I'm not proud of? One that could potentially make you not want to date me?"

He could tell from her voice that she was putting herself in a very vulnerable place, one that she wasn't used to. He wanted to reassure her, but at the same time he wanted to know what she was talking about. "I highly doubt that," Derek said, putting the truck in park near the docks.

"That's the thing Derek, you don't know me. You think you do and you think you like me, but you don't know me."

"Stop."

"What?"

"I said to stop."

"I know what you said," Meredith snapped.

"Then stop."'

"Why are you telling me to stop?"

Derek sighed, "Stop making this complicated. It doesn't have to be."

"No, you don't understand," Meredith said, shaking her head. "Me? I'm complicated. This whole double life I'm forced to live? Complicated. I don't know how to not do complicated."

"Then we'll work on that."

"Why are you acting like every thing is so simple?"

"Because it is," Derek said, taking her hand. "I like you and I'm assuming you like me. I may not know everything about you, but you don't know me either. That's the point of this whole dating thing. You can say no, that's up to you, but I'm not going to push you. I'll go at whatever pace you want."

"You'll wait?" Meredith asked, a look of disbelief crossing her face.

"I'll wait" Derek nodded, squeezing her hand.

"Okay," Meredith agreed, catching herself before she completely lost herself in his eyes. "I… uh, I should go."

"You sure you don't want me walking up there with you? That ankle isn't healed one hundred percent yet."

Meredith opened her door and looked back at him. "It's fine. I'll be fine. I come down here every night after whatever shin-ding my mother makes me go to."

"Have fun with that," Derek joked as he opened his own door and got out of the car.

Meredith walked over to the front of the truck, watching as Derek followed. "What are you doing?"

"I said I wasn't going to push you."

"Right…."

"But that doesn't mean I can't make requests."

"Derek…. I know it doesn't make sense, but I thought-"

"Meredith, shut up."

"What?"

"Come here," Derek said, wrapping his arms around her. He pulled her body close to his and he could feel her scent consuming his thoughts. He didn't want to let her go, but he had to eventually.

As Meredith pulled away, her arms wrapped around herself, missing the warmth he provided. "What was that for?" she asked self-consciously, her head bent down.

"To make sure you know that I wasn't kidding. I'm not going anywhere, even if you make me wait," Derek said, running his hand along her arm.

"Okay, well, I should go."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"I'll see you later."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yeah," she smiled, turning to run up the slight hill to the resort, Derek watching her until he was sure she was inside.


	13. Chapter 13

Meredith slipped her key card into the door, thanking whatever supernatural power there was that she was able to get through the resort without being noticed. Once she was over the hill, she grabbed one the robes they have set out near the hot tub, making it appear as though she had been at the resort the entire time.

Closing the door behind her, she rested her head against the door, swearing she could still feel Derek's hands on her. It was ridiculous how they'd really done nothing at all, but it felt like he had touched her soul. She hated who clichéd she sounded in her own head, but she didn't have any idea how else to describe it.

"Something tells me that you didn't come in through the front door."

Meredith's eyes snapped open, her breath caught until she realized whom it was. "Geez, April, you scared the crap out of me."

"I wouldn't have if you hadn't been up to no good," April shrugged. "I was making you a bath at your mother's orders since I've been telling her that you were sick today."

"Why?" Meredith asked, walking across the room and out onto her balcony. It had always been the favorite part of this resort, but now it was even more important to her. She swore she could see the place where she met Derek from here, and for some reason, that was comforting.

"Because your father's boss was here for a luncheon and you were mysteriously gone. I saved your little behind from quite a beating, Miss."

Meredith rolled her eyes, "First of all, he's not my father. And second of all, my mother would have ordered you to give me a beating before she ever got around to doing it herself."

"Either way, things would have become very difficult for you," April said as she pulled down Meredith's comforter.

There was a knock at the door, causing April to look at her and just shake her head. "Go and get in your bath," she whispered, "And pretend you're sick, I know you're good at it."

"How would you know?"

"Cause you do it all the time, now go," April snapped, causing Meredith to rush into the bathroom and shut the door behind her.

Meredith pulled off her robe, followed by her wet clothes that were still sticking to her body before plunging herself into the warm bubble bath, trying to drown out the sounds of April talking to her stepfather. The whole time, she couldn't help but wish that she hadn't left Derek, that she hadn't hesitated.

Derek walked into his house, the sounds from the kitchen filling his ears. Before anyone could notice he'd arrived, he jogged up the old wooden stairs of the house to pull on some dry clothes. As he walked back downstairs, he ran his fingers through his hair, attempting to make it look calmer.

He pushed open the swinging door to the kitchen, finding it busting with energy and laughter as usual. The table was overly crowded, full with his entire family. All of his sisters, including two husbands, one boyfriend, and three of their kids were packed in the room with his parents.

"There you are Derek, we were wondering when you were going to show up," Carol, Derek's mother, said before getting up to shovel some food on a plate for him.

"I went for a swim," Derek said awkwardly, taking his seat next to his father.

"Alone?" his younger sister, Reagan, asked as she eyed him carefully.

"Yes, alone," he clarified, making sure she understand that she needed to shut up.

"Aww, does Derbear have a girlfriend?" Michelle, one of his other sister's teased.

Carol shook her head, placing the plate before her only son. "Leave your brother alone."

"Oh, come on, he always terrorized us when we were dating. It's only fair that we get to pay him pack," Meghan, the eldest of all his sisters, joked.

"He was young. You're twenty-five. You should know how to behave by now," Carol answered.

"So, what exactly prompted you to go swimming 'alone' so close to dinner? You're usually never late," his last sister, Jennifer, asked.

Derek shrugged, "Just felt like it."

"Anways," Andrew said, attempting to change the subject. "How is the house coming, Christopher?"

"It's coming," Christopher shrugged, never being a talkative person. Everyone figured that's why he could marry Meghan. She tended to talk more than enough for three people.

"The downstairs is almost completely rebuilt. It's going to look amazing when it's done. Ben and Nick are going to love their new rooms," Meghan smiled, "And hopefully we'll be able to expand our family even more once we're back in our own home."

"Yes, please wait to do that until you're in the privacy of your own home. I'm already scarred enough as it is," Reagan said in a serious tone.

"Derek, you're not eating very much. Do you feel alright?" Carol asked, concern consuming her face from across the table.

Derek shook his head, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking, that's all."

"About you're girlfriend?" Reagan teased.

"Shut up, Rea."

"Derek Andrew, you will not speak that way at the dinner table, especially not to your younger sister," Carol scowled.

"Sorry," Derek mumbled, standing up. "I'm just going to go take a shower and go to bed."

"Someone's moody," Meghan commented once the door was closed behind Derek.

"Your brother is going through some things, let him be," Andrew said. His voice wasn't scowled as Carol's had been, but his point was made none the less. His children tended to take his word as authoritative regardless of the way it was spoken.

"Mommy?"

Meghan turned from her dinner to look at her oldest son, Ben, who was sitting next to her, "Yes?"

"Was that girl from yesterday Uncle Der's girlfren?"

"Girl from yesterday?" Meghan asked, her eyes turning back to her mother.

Reagan laughed, "Oh, I forgot you weren't home! Der brought home some girl he met on the beach cause she twisted her ankle or something. She passed out on the couch. He wouldn't let us near her. He was being weirdly protective."

"Rumor is, she's from the resort," Michelle said.

"I'd never seen her before," Jennifer shrugged.

"Exactly," Reagan agreed, "And if she was from here, she'd go to school with me, so I'd know her."

"Not if she went to school with Der on the mainland," Jennifer countered.

Reagan scoffed, "Yeah, like Der actually has friends there. His head is always in his books. I'm surprised he even got her attention."

"Okay, that's enough," Carol said, ending the conversation. "Your father said to leave him alone, so that's what you're going to do. Now, clean up your dishes and get ready for bed. It's getting late."

"No it's not," Reagan said, glancing at the clock.

"Reagan, don't test your mother," Andrew ordered, standing up from the table and following his wife to the sink.

* * *

**I wanted to introduce you guys to Derek's family, so that's them. I know there were a lot of people, so it's probably confusing. You'll find out more about them later, but I'll give you a little summary. Meghan is the eldest, she's married to Christopher Daniels and they have two children: Ben (who you met earlier in the story, and he's 3) and Nick (who's about 1 ½). Meghan is about twenty-five and is followed by Jennifer, who is twenty-one. She's married to Anthony McDonnell and has a nine-month old baby named Madison. Then there's Michelle, who is twenty and who isn't married, but has a long-time boyfriend from high school named Eric Reynolds. Then there's Derek, followed by his youngest sister Reagan, who is fifteen.**

**Anways, sorry about the terribly long break between updates. School is ending through and all of my AP tests are over, so I should be able to update more from now on! Some of my other stories should be getting some updates soon! Thanks for continuing to read and please leave reviews!**


	14. Chapter 14

Meredith walked out on to her balcony, her hands finding the iron railing as she leaned against it. There was a slight breeze in the air, dancing through the curly tendrils of her hair. At of all the years she'd been to the resort on this island, she'd never once took the time to actually appreciate the finer things about it. She'd been too busy finding ways to torture her mother or sister to really care. But now, she couldn't think of anything better to do than just stare out into the ocean, her eyes glancing down at the docks every once in a while. Maybe if she'd done this earlier, she would have met Derek earlier. Every summer they'd been so close, but their worlds were completely separate. Despite her desire to forget all of her hesitations, in the back of her mind, she knew that the summer wasn't going to last forever. Derek may want to wait, but what exactly was he going to wait for? A quick summer fling? Meredith didn't know if she could do that to him, let alone herself.

There was potential here. That alone scared the shit out of her. She never thought she'd be someone who could actually see herself with someone. It didn't make sense, but she could. They knew two complete different worlds and lifestyles and there's absolutely no way it would ever work, but that didn't stop her from wishing. Which was incredibly weird and new for her. She didn't wish. She didn't hope and she didn't dream. That wasn't her. She wasn't one of those girls who planned her wedding at the age of five and hoped for prince charming. She thought Cinderella was stupid when she was five. She had asked April what kind of idiot would think they love someone after just meeting them. That's not possible. She still didn't think it was, but Derek was making her second guess everything.

This wasn't what she was expecting this summer to be. She was just supposed to finish off her massive reading list and start preparing for college. Because that's what her life was going to be next year. College. She didn't have time for Derek or feelings or love or dreams. Next year was college. And then after that med school. And then her residency. And then her fellowship. Her life was planned out for her and there was no room a relationship. She couldn't string Derek along like that and then just drop him at the end of the summer. He was too good. Too good for her. He deserved so much that she couldn't offer. Even if her life hadn't been planned out since she was nine. She has a past. One that she didn't want Derek to ever know, and if she let him in, if she allowed him to become a permanent fixture in her life, he would know. People would tell him or he would figure it out. She'd rather him just think of the her as the girl that he could have fallen in love with instead of the girl that he thought he loved until she turned out to be something completely different.

Her mom once told her that love was a virus. You couldn't avoid it forever. It'll get you eventually. It'll infect you and take over everything. If you let it, it'll destroy your life. The only way to survive is to destroy it first, before it spreads. Meredith knew she could tell herself that as much as she wanted, label Derek a virus in her head, but the second she looked into his eyes, it all melted away. She didn't understand it, and she didn't really want to, she just knew that something was preventing her from pushing him away. Something about him seeped through the crevices of the walls she's built up throughout her life and she wasn't even sure if he knew he was doing it. It just happened. She doubted that he could explain it either.

"Mer?"

Meredith turned around to see the door to her room cracked open, her sister's dark brunette hair falling to the side as she peeped her head inside.

"What?" she sighed, walking back into the room and sitting down on her bed.

"Can we talk?"

"Sure, Kath."

"Thanks," she smiled, walking into the room and closing the door behind her. She jumped onto the bed with Meredith, looking up at her big sister. "Okay, so what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing, you're the one that wanted to talk," Meredith shrugged, pulling her hair up into a ponytail and leaning back on to her headboard.

"Yeah, but you look all thoughtful and such. What's up?"

"Nothing, can we just talk about whatever you needed?"

"Fine," Katherine sighed. "So, why do all the guys like you?"

"What? What are you talking about? Guys don't like me. There are no guys. What makes you think there is a guy? You really have no reason to assume there's a guy. None. Because there is none. No one. No guy."

Katherine laughed, "Okay, so I really wasn't meaning it like that, but now I know there something going on. We'll get back to that, but I mean, at home. You're all geeky with your books and working and everything, but there's still like twenty guys drooling over you all the time. What do you do?"

Meredith gave her sister a weird look, having no idea what she was talking about or where in the world this was coming from. "What are you talking about?"

"Okay, do you remember Ethan?" Katherine sighed, hoping she'd eventually be able to clue in her completely oblivious sister.

"Uh, no."

"Tall, gorgeous sandy blond hair, comes here every year, always at dinners with us? Come on, there's no way you don't remember him," Katherine said dramatically, making Meredith roll her eyes.

"We're at a ritzy resort. Half the guys are tall, have sandy blond hair, come here every year, and attend all the functions we're forced to. That description probably narrows it down to like thirty."

"How can you not remember him? He followed us around all the time last year. He would always flirt with you when you were swimming and ask you to dance at the balls. He has those gorgeous brown eyes and his father is some big stock broker."

"Oh, yeah," Meredith laughed. "The guy that thought I was actually impressed by his family's financial status. Even if I was that kind of girl, his is not even close to the estate Mom and Richard have. He was kind of cute, extremely naïve though. And slightly stupid. I mean those eyes? Really not all they seem to be-"

"Hey," Katherine scowled. "Those eyes are gorgeous."

"Wait, you have a thing for that guy? Are you serious?" Meredith asked, trying to stifle a laugh.

"Do not mock me, Meredith Grey. That's not funny. You don't even know him. You probably didn't even give him a chance. You don't give anyone a chance. You and your stupid preconceived notions."

"Okay, so did you come in here to insult me?" Meredith asked, standing up and walking back out to her balcony.

"No. I didn't. It's just, Ethan keeps asking about you."

"And?"

"He like is obsessed with you. When he's not talking about you, we have a great time together, but that's not that often. Him and his friends all think you're like god's gift to the world. It's not fair," Katherine whined, following her sister outside and sitting down on the lounge chair.

"First of all, he's too young for me. He's practically your age, so that's gross. And second of all, I didn't do anything. I danced with him like twice because Mom made me. I barely said a word to him. I didn't bring this on so stop accusing me of stealing your man. I haven't even seen him this year," Meredith answered back as she found her place against the railing once again, her eyes looking out onto the water.

"I know. He's told me numerous times how mysterious you've become. Which brings me to my next question, where the hell have you been?"

"I don't think Mom would like it if she heard you speak like that," Meredith joked, the hint of a smile on her lips.

Katherine rolled her eyes, "No, seriously, Mer. Where do you disappear to every night? You're clearly not sick as April told Mom and I."

"I've just been, doing things," Meredith shrugged.

"Like what?"

Meredith shrugged again, her head falling to rest on her hand as the water completely mesmerized her eyes. She looked across the sand, seeing the little row of shops she'd gotten ice cream from earlier that day with Derek. Some lights caught her attention on the left, but she just ignored the headlights as her sister tried to catch her attention again.

"Why are you daydreaming?"

"I'm not daydreaming."

"Yes you are," Katherine challenged.

"No I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm- Okay, I'm seriously not having this fight with you. Neither of us are two."

"Which is exactly why you should tell me whatever is going on. I'm old enough to know. Come on, you can trust me!" Katherine promised, coming over to Meredith.

"There's nothing to tell."

"So there's no reason you've been on this balcony tonight, staring at the beach that just so happens to have a guy walking on it?"

"What?" Meredith snapped, her eyes searching the beach. Next to the old row of shops she saw the small shadow of a truck. Her eyes followed his trail from the truck to the water, soon landing on Derek's body.

"Yeah, my point exactly," Katherine said smugly.

"Don't you have a bed time or something?" Meredith snapped, propelling herself off the railing and back into her room.

"Nope! It's the summer and I'm thirteen."

"I'm aware of you're age, but shouldn't you at least be in your room?" Meredith questioned, throwing herself into her closet.

Katherine rolled her eyes, "It's next door. I highly doubt anyone cares."

Meredith stopped and came out of her closet, her robe pulled off, standing only in her underwear. "Look, this is me being nice, but you can't take a hint. Get out."

"What's your problem?" Katherine snapped, jumping on to Meredith's bed with absolutely no intention of leaving.

"Seriously, I'm not kidding. Get out."

"Why? So you can sneak out?"

"I'm not sneaking out," Meredith muttered, going back into her closet.

"You sooo are!"

"Shut up, Katherine."

"Who is he?" Katherine asked, getting off of the bed and coming into the closet.

"No one."

"He's no one?"

"Yep."

"And that's why you're staring at your clothes like you need to be in the perfect outfit?"

"Yep."

"Well, since you have absolutely no fashion sense, I'll help you. It's the sisterly thing to do," Katherine said, quickly going through the hangers.

"The sisterly thing to do?"

"Exactly."

"With no ulterior motive?"

"Only in hopes that you decide to be sisterly too."

"And do what?"

"Tell me," Katherine smiled, puling something out. "Okay, so wear these shorts. They're not skimpy, but they're not conservative either. That pretty much defines the small style you have, so it works. And then this tanktop. It's really cute, but simple. It'll accent your skinny body and it's cut low enough to let him see some, but high enough to keep him guessing. I mean, unless he isn't guessing anymore. In that case-"

"Stop talking," Meredith ordered, grabbing the two items out of her sister's hands. "Thanks, really, but get out."

"What? I'm being serious," Katherine said, failing miserably at not laughing. "I don't know the story here. It's quite possible that you're going down there to have your way with him on the beach."

"I'm just going to pretend you never said that," Meredith said, nudging her out of the closet. "I'd prefer to think that my thirteen year old sister didn't even know what sex was."

"So, is there sex involved?" Katherine asked, practically drooling for gossip.

"No, there's no sex involved, now get out!" Meredith ordered, practically shoving her giggling sister out of her room.

Meredith quickly pulled on the outfit before running back out to her balcony. She looked over to the docks and sure enough, Derek was still there. She knew she probably shouldn't be able to recognize him from this far away and in the dark, but she knew it was him. It was weird, but she knew. And despite everything that she had been thinking earlier, she knew she had to be there with him.


	15. Chapter 15

Carefully, she climbed down the rocky hillside, hearing Derek's voice in her head, reminding her that her ankle wasn't completely healed yet. When she wasn't watching where she placed her ankle, she watched him, making sure she never lost sight of him. He moved every once in awhile, just enough to pace up and down the dock before sitting back down on the edge.

He looked antsy, distracted, like he desperately needed to think and sort out the thoughts in his head. As she got closer to reaching him, she suddenly felt as though she was intruding on something private. She was partially compelled to turn around, feeling as though she didn't belong. She stopped in her place, turning around to head back when she heard him stand up behind her.

"Mer?"

Stopping again, she turned back around to see him coming to her. In the moonlight, it was hard to see him too well, but she could tell his hair was disheveled, making him appear less perfect than usual.

"Meredith?" he said again.

"Yeah, it's me," she answered, hating the way her heart swooned just because he said her name.

"It's kind of late, isn't it?" he asked, stopping in front of her.

She shrugged, "I could say the same to you."

"I just come out here to think."

"Okay," she answered, reaching to grab his hand. She intertwined their fingers, leading him back to the docks. The gesture surprised him a little, but it felt good having her with him, her body close to him.

They walked across the old wooden dock, slowly, with only the moonlight's reflection on the water guiding them. Once they reached the end, Meredith sat down on the edge, letting her feet dangle in the water. Derek followed her lead, draping his arm loosely around her shoulders as he did.

"Aren't you cold?" she whispered.

"I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Derek, I'm fine, I promise," she giggled.

"Okay, I'm just making sure."

"You worry to much."

"I know."

"Okay, now do your thinking. I'll just sit here and look pretty," she whispered, placing her hand on his knee.

"You're very good at that," he answered, placing his hand on hers.

"Shhh… think."

"Okay," he laughed quietly.

Minutes based, and Meredith just sat there, her body leaning against his. His fingers were playing with hers, running up and down her hand, sending shivers through her body despite the summer air. She couldn't figure out why, but just being with him made her feel so much better than being in the five star resort. Regardless of what she tried, she couldn't get her head to think of anything other than him. He kept her mind in the moment, and every possible consequence that may follow. She was so close to forgetting her past and her future, only caring about him and them. She'd never had that feeling before and she didn't really know how to explain it, but she hoped he felt it too.

"This isn't working."

"What? Why?" Meredith asked worriedly, her vulnerability apparent.

"I just can't think of anything, besides you."

She giggled, "That's cheesy."

"It's the truth."

"Well, then, maybe I should go," she whispered, her body defying her as she made no effort to move.

"No."

"But you need to think."

"I don't care about thinking. I'd rather be with you."

"You sound like a girl," she joked.

"One of us has to."

"Just because I'm not a sap doesn't mean you have to be."

"You like that I'm a sap," he smiled, tightening her grip on her.

She shrugged, "I guess."

"Admit it, you like me."

"Yeah, I like you."

"See, I told you"

"Arrogant ass," Meredith mumbled, causing them both to laugh.

"How did you know I was out here?"

"I can see the docks from my window," she whispered, looking up at him.

"So, you were spying on me?"

"No," she giggled.

"I think you were."

"Think whatever you want."

Derek smiled at her, before his face became more serious. "Will you go somewhere with me tomorrow?"

"Have another secret hiding place?"

"Something like that."

"Okay," Meredith answered, nodding slightly.

"It's late. Are you going to get in trouble for being out here?"

Meredith shrugged, "Only if I get caught."

"Then you should probably get back, that way you're not locked inside tomorrow."

"I guess."

"Okay," Derek said, standing up and grabbing her hands to pull her up with him.

Silently, they walked back to the shore, hand-in-hand. Derek couldn't figure out why, but silence didn't bug him when he was sharing it with her. Instead, it was comforting and relaxed. No words were necessarily needed.

He walked her to the rocks on the side of the resort, stopping in front of them. "I guess this is where I say goodnight."

"I guess so," Meredith said, their hands dangling between them.

"Good night."

"Good night," she repeated, her eyes never leaving his.

She felt pulled to him, like kissing him was the only natural thing to do, but despite what she said, she couldn't forget what happened and she couldn't kiss him. She was afraid. Deathly afraid of really letting him in. She didn't know what he'd think and she'd rather never know.

"You know, you have to actually move to get back to the resort," Derek chuckled.

She smiled, "Yeah, I know."

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay," she whispered, stepping closer to him. She looked into his eyes, almost ready to forget any doubt she had, but at the last moment she kissed his cheek instead.

She felt like an idiot. Like the biggest idiot ever. So she ran. And she didn't look back.


	16. Chapter 16

**Sorry about the long wait. I had some unexpected things going on the first few days of summer break**. **So, this update is kind of a filler, but I already have half of the next one written, so it should hopefully be up sooner than this one! Thanks for reading!**

* * *

"Someone's fidgety this morning," Richard chuckled, glancing at his step-daughter across the breakfast table.

"Yes, Meredith, stop it. It's unlady like," Ellis scowled.

"I'm not fidgeting."

"Don't cross me, young lady. Especially not this early in the morning. I have not the time nor the patience to deal with you," Ellis continued, making the table go silent.

Richard cleared his throat in an attempt to end the awkwardness as Meredith pushed her crepe back and forth across her plate. "Meredith, is your breakfast alright?"

"It's fine."

"We pay for you to eat it, not to stare at it like a five-year-old." Ellis shook her head, turning the page of the New York Times.

"I'm not hungry," Meredith said, shrugging her shoulders.

Ellis put the paper down and looked up at her daughter, "Stop slouching, you already look sickly enough as it is, you don't need to add to it. If you aren't even going to eat, you might as well leave the table and stop bringing us down with your sour mood."

Meredith scoffed, "My sour mood? Seriously?"

"That's enough," Richard said calmly, knowing that this could escalate easily. "Meredith, why don't you and Katherine go and put your swim suits on? The weather is lovely outside, perfect for a morning swim."

"Yeah, whatever," Meredith mumbled, pulling the cloth napkin off her lap and dropping it on her place before standing up. She navigated her way out of the sunroom, not even caring if her sister was following her or not.

* * *

"So, are we going swimming?" Katherine asked, following Meredith into her bedroom.

"No. Well, I'm not. I don't really care if you do," Meredith answered, picking up her brush and running it through her wavy brown hair.

Katherine groans. "Come on, we have not done anything together this whole summer."

"Not true, we snuck out of the ball together last Friday."

"We both know that had nothing to do with hanging out together. You just wanted to get away from Mom and I was bored enough to follow you."

Meredith sighed, turning to her sister as she pulled her hair up into a pony tail, "Why don't you go hang out with that guy? Tell him I'm taken or something. Better yet, tell him Mom is disinheriting me. That might work."

"Oh, so now you're taken?" Katherine pried, getting the smile on her face that meant she had discovered some new gossip.

Meredith rolled her eyes, "I didn't say that. Now seriously, go somewhere. I'm going to be late."

"For what?" Katherine asked, grinning.

"I'm meeting Derek. Does that satisfy your interests?"

"Derek? Good name. So, when do I get to meet him?"

"Never, now I'm leaving," Meredith said, walking out of her door and down the hallway to the elevator.

Katherine followed quickly after her, incessantly annoying her older sister. "Please?? I'm really bored, Mer. I just want to meet him and then I'll go."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you just, you wouldn't understand." Meredith sighed, the elevator dinging to grant their entrance. "You haven't realized that there's life outside this life yet. This whole world that Mom shuts you in? It's not reality. This is how about two percent of the world lives, if even that. If you choose to live like this, I'll still love you because you're my sister, but I'm not going to be like this. I don't like this life and I believe I've made that abundantly clear. It's okay that you do, you just won't understand Derek or why I like him. And I really don't want that to come between us."

"Woah." Katherine said. "So, thank for the whole guilt trip there," she smiled, her words purely sarcastic. "I thought you were just being all secretive when instead you have all these deep emotions and thoughts. You should talk more, makes you seem smarter."

Meredith rolled her eyes, "Now go find your lover boy and I'll see you at dinner."

"Yeah, yeah, go find your own lover boy," Katherine said, watching as her sister headed down the path to the docks.


	17. Chapter 17

Meredith headed down by the docks, surprised when she didn't see Derek. His father's boat was gone, but she assumed Derek wasn't on it. They hadn't set a particular time to meet, but she didn't think he'd go fishing and not tell her. 

Her curiosity led her down to the shops, which were just as eerily empty as the docks. This side of town was never all that packed, but she usually saw a few people, even if it was just kids trying to find something to do over summer break. The grocery story was empty, as was the small fishing store. 

Feeling like she was on the wrong end of a horror film, she moved from the docks towards the road, remembering that Derek's house wasn't too far from here. She knew she wouldn't get lost as there were only so many roads on the island. If she remembered correctly, all she had to do was walk down the same curvy street until she found the first turn. His house was on a rather large piece of land, isolating it from most other things, but she figured she could find her way there. 

Nearly twenty minutes later, Meredith found herself walking up the dirt path leading to the front of the old house. She passed the old blue truck, smiling at the fishing gear in the back. Something about the home felt familiar, regardless of the fact that she'd only been there once. It just felt like Derek. 

The house had two front porches, so she chose the one that Derek had led her to the last and only time she'd previously been at the house. The porch was screened in, but the door at the top of the two steps leading to the house was open, so she walked in. She stopped in front of the actual wooden door, wondering if she should have come. There was obviously a reason that Derek hadn't been there yet. She could just have been early. They didn't set a time, they never did, and they just found each other. That's how it worked, but she'd been eager to see him, especially after breakfast with her family. 

Ignoring her insecurities, she knocked on the door and stepped back, waiting for someone to answer. Barely seconds later, the door swung open, revealing a thin, almost gangly looking girl with blue eyes and long brown hair thrown into a messy ponytail. "Uh, yes?" 

"Sorry to bug you, but is Derek here?" 

"Derek?" 

"Yes." 

The squinted her eyes slightly, looking over Meredith. "You seriously want to talk to my brother? Derek the dork?" 

"Derek the dork?" Meredith repeated, trying to hide a giggle in her voice. 

"Oh, I forgot. You're the girl from the other day. The one with the ankle thing?" 

"Yeah," Meredith nodded, hoping that she hadn't forgot about her because there was a plethora of girls in Derek's life. Then again, she completely doubted that. It wasn't that Derek wasn't attractive; he just didn't seem like the player type. 

"I'm Reagan by the way," the girl said, offering her hand. 

"Meredith Grey," Meredith answered, shaking her hand and feeling oddly formal. Was this how you were supposed to be introduced to the guy who wasn't technically your boyfriend's family? 

The girl turned back into the house, letting the screen door shut in her absence. "Derbear!" 

"What?" Meredith could tell by the sound of his voice that he was annoyed and she wished again that she hadn't come. It would have been better if she had just gone back to the resort or waited by the docks. She was such an idiot. 

"You're girlfriend is here!" Reagan announced, making Meredith's breath catch in her throat. Did she really have to call her that? They weren't actually dating. They were just hanging out. No one needed to know about the serious attraction between them. If she could deny it then so could anyone else. 

"What are you talking about Rea?" Derek muttered as he came into the kitchen, freezing when he saw Meredith through the screen. "Meredith…" 

"See, told you!" Reagan teased, hurrying out of the kitchen before her brother made her leave. 

"Meredith, you're here." 

"Yeah, I know. I shouldn't have come. I can go. I can go and we can pretend that I never showed up, it's just that I went to the docks and you weren't there for once so I thought about coming here since it's so easy to get here, but I could seriously just pretend that I was never here. I completely understand if you never wanted me here. Totally. I overstepped my bounds, totally, got it. I'm just going to go." 

Meredith turned on her heal to leave, but before she took two steps she felt Derek's hand on her arm. "Mer, don't leave. I'm glad you came." 

"You are?" 

"Yes." 

"Oh," Meredith sighed. 

"I, uh, I can't leave." 

"Oh, okay." 

Derek ran his hand through his hair, "I mean, I want to, but Reagan is leaving and I have to watch my nephews. I didn't know about this last night. They kind of threw it on me this morning when I was leaving with my Dad." 

"Oh, well, then, I guess I should leave." 

"You could stay. They're going to nap eventually and before they wake up my sister should be back. But you could definitely stay. They'll love you. You already met Ben and Nick is only a year and a half old. They play well together, so it's really easy watching them," Derek explained. 

"Kids? I really don't think that's a good idea. It's just kids… and me… I would break them or something," Meredith answered, shaking her head and taking a step back. 

"They're little boys. They're pretty indestructible. Trust me, I wouldn't let you near them if I didn't think you could handle it." 

"Are you sure?" 

"Yeah, but I mean, you don't have to. If you don't want to, I get it. I know this was not what you were expecting when you came here. I get that. It'd be okay." 

"No, I… I'll stay," Meredith answered, wondering if she'd completely lost her mind as she followed Derek inside.


	18. Chapter 18

"Okay, seriously, Derek. If we were going to go hiking, you really should have warned me. I'm in flip flops!"

Derek rolled his eyes, turning around to grab Meredith's hand. "We're not going hiking and I'm right here. I won't let you fall _again_."

Meredith intertwined their fingers, catching up with him so their arms up loosely between them. Just touching him brought a smile to her face. "I fell once. You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"

"I will eventually."

"And when is this eventually?" she asked, looking up into his sparkling eyes.

"Probably once you do something else I can make fun of you for," he teased her, leading her to a narrow path in the forest.

She turned around, noticing that she could no longer see the truck that Derek parked on the side of a street. "Are we going to be able to get back?"

"I've done this a million times before, we'll be fine."

Meredith took in the sight of her surroundings. They were leisurely walking up a small hill, on a worn path. Trees were all around them, decorated with various other types of wildlife and greenery. As much as she appreciated its beauty, she was still waiting for some type of animal to jump out at them.

"Have you ever noticed that most of this island is kind of on a slant?"

"What?"

Derek nodded, "Yeah, the beaches are lower than the center. It's not that uncommon because of erosion and things like that, but it's a little extreme here. That's why were on an incline."

"What, we're walking to the center of island? Something mystic happen there?" she joked.

"No," he sighed, removing his hand from hers and receiving a strange glare from Meredith before he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her thing body against his. "We're not going to the exact center, just somewhere around there. No one really owns this land for some reason, but we protect it from investors. Make it seem like just a random piece of useless land."

"And it's not?"

Derek shook his head as he looked away from Meredith. "You don't get out much, do you?"

"Out in the middle of nowhere? No. I live in New York City. The extent of my outdoor adventures is Central Park," she explained reaching up to loosely hold on to Derek's hand that was hanging around her shoulder.

"So sad," he laughed.

"Stop making fun of me. It's not very nice."

"I have no incentive for being nice. I might as well be mean, it's funnier that way."

Meredith shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe if you're nice , there will be something in it for ya."

"Meredith Grey, do not tease me."

"Oh, why not? You seem to_ love_ teasing _me_."

Slowly Derek removed his arm from around her, grabbing her hand again, but keeping her body close to him. "We have to go off the trail a little bit from here."

Meredith planted her feet, causing Derek to turn around when he felt a tug on his arm. "What?"

"This seems oddly like a horror film. We're in the middle of a forest that you know, but I don't. No one knows we're here. We're about to go off the trail and there are plenty of hard things around us that could be turned into weapons."

He smiled at her serious expression. "Well, I guess you better get creative and come up with some form of self-defense."

"So you admit to having some hidden agenda here?"

Derek smiled, stepping closer to her. "I may have a hidden agenda, but one that involves hurting you? I don't think so."

Meredith suddenly became aware of the close proximity of their bodies and the slight feeling of his exhaling breath against her skin. Her voice caught in her throat, requiring a steady conscious thought to force any words out. "Then what exactly is on it?"

"I don't think you have to ask me that."

"Derek…" she breathed, her voice slightly cautionary.

"My agenda is based purely on hope. I handle disappointment well."

Meredith sighed, her head falling forwards slightly in between them. She hated feeling she was disappointing him. It sent all these guilty emotions soaring through her body, only matched by the other strange emotion she's been feeling whenever she's near him.

"Hey," Derek coaxed, his hand reaching to her chin and pulling her face up. He caught her eyes, noticing the way her hair fell slightly in front of her left eye. "I'm just kidding, Mer. Nothing has changed. No expectations."

"No expectations?"

"None."

"Okay."

"You ready?"

"I guess."

Derek didn't say another word as he took her hand and led her through a maze of wildlife. He kept her body close to his, subtly warning her of every hole or fallen branch. Meredith felt safer than she ever had in her family's high security apartment or even at the resort. She was fairly certain that Derek would do anything to protect her, with or without the actual words being spoken and that certainty scared her. She couldn't understand it or extract its origin. She was the girl that was geekishly good at math and science, even though she felt her heart lied in literature. As much as she liked the abstract meanings of stories ranging from Shakespeare to Toni Morrison, she also liked the exact answers and simplicity that math and science provided. She understood the cause, the why, the how. It left little room for questions, and when she did have questions, there were definite answers and explanations. She had no explanation for this. It just was.


	19. Chapter 19

As they ventured farther into the forest, she began to hear a slow steady stream of water. Her imagination was wondering, but she didn't want to pester Derek and end the silence between them. She had never understood how a comfortable silence could exist until she met Derek. It was strange. When she looked at him, or felt his hand in hers, all of the romances she's read suddenly made so much more sense.

"Mer," Derek whispered, tugging on her hand and grabbing her attention.

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to hoist you up there."

She looked at him, her eye brow raised. "Hoist? You're going to hoist me?"

"Are you mocking my vocabulary?"

She smiled, "Can you really blame me when you say words like 'hoist'? Whatever happened to 'lift'?"

"Okay, fine," Derek shrugged as he began to climb up the rocky hill.

"Derek!" she squealed, smacking him on the back. "Not funny. Help me."

Derek laughed as he jumped off the ledge, grabbing Meredith's arm and pulling her body against him. Meredith didn't know what to expect next, but she felt his hands on her hips, her chin resting against her shoulder, his chest flush against her back. "I'll lift you, but you'll have to pull yourself up a little, okay?"

"I think I can handle that. I do climb down from the resort every day, don't I?"

"Yeah, yeah," he smirked, his grip on her tightening as he lifted her body, allowing her to grip the edge of the ledge. "I'm right here, okay?" he reassured, pushing her body while she pulled herself up.

"I'm fine, Derek."

"Good," he says before expertly climbing up the ledge in two seconds flat, joining Meredith as they both brushed a little dirt off their clothes.

"Okay, are you going to clue me into what we're doing now?"

He rolled his eyes, taking her hand again and leading her to a line of trees. He held the branches out of her way and guided her inside, leading her to the source of the water sounds. She looked up at him, but didn't say anything as he led her to the edge of the water.

"Derek! Is that a waterfall?"

"Small one," he said, sitting down at the edge of the water and pulling her down with him. "We can go down there in a second and you can see it from that angle. My father built make-shift steps out of rocks over there to go down to the pool after Meghan fell and broke her leg when we were younger."

"This is so beautiful, Der," Meredith said, inching to the edge of the land mass, where the water fell off.

He grabbed her waist, pulling her back over to him. "I'd rather you stay over here," he whispered into her ear.

"And why is that?"

"Well, it would just be too easy for me to push you over a cliff. Too cliché for a good horror film. We have to keep up the romantic cover for awhile before I can turn crazy. You have to hold your audience's attention," he joked, his tone attempting to remain serious.

She giggled, leaning into his grasp as he pulled her body closer to his. After a little situating, she was sitting between his legs, her back against his chest as he leaned comfortably against a tree.

Her head rested against his chest, feeling that mysterious silence forming between them again. She stopped caring that she couldn't explain it, finally considering the possibility that it wasn't meant to be explained. It was just there.

"So, do you bring all your girlfriends here?" Meredith playfully asked, her fingers drawing lazy circles against the denim on his lower thigh.

Derek chuckled. "Nah, only the pretty ones."

Meredith giggled, filling Derek's ears with a sound he was beginning to think he couldn't live without. He loved her smile, her giggle, her laugh. Each one made him think that everything was perfectly okay. None of the complications of life outside of them really mattered because she was happy and laughing. It was stupid, but he didn't care.

"To be honest, no one. I mean, I used to hang out here with my sisters when we were younger, but it was a secret family thing, you know? No friends or anyone else allowed."

"But, for all you know, each of your sisters could have privately brought their boyfriends here," Meredith answered, keeping things light. She really didn't want to consider what his admission could actually mean. That was complicated and possibly terrifying.

"Can we not consider that for a moment?"

"I suppose we don't have to think about your sister's cashing in their v-cards on your little sacred spot," she teased, unable to stop a slight laugh from escaping her lips.

"Meredith Grey," Derek mumbled, shaking his head. "What am I going to do with you?"

"That's kind of what I was wondering," Meredith mumbled, not completely realizing she was speaking.

"What?"

Meredith turned her head to look at him, feeling assaulted by his smell and that look in his eyes that bore into her soul. She tentatively lifted her hand to his face, her fingers finding the edge of his curls. She bit her lip subconsciously before leaning into him, placing her lips on his. Surprised by the kiss, Derek wasn't exactly sure what his new boundaries were, but before she released him, her tongue penetrated his lips, kissing him harder than he expected. Meredith felt his grip on her tighten as the kiss continued, one of his hands drifting towards her hair. Once they finally pulled away for air, her forehead leaned against his, giving him a perfect view of her heaving chest.

"Jesus, Meredith," he cursed under his breath, closing his eyes and trying to calm himself down.

She bit her lip again, her hands falling down to his shoulders. "Sorry," she muttered, suddenly feeling extremely self-conscious

Derek's head snapped up, "What are you apologizing for? That was amazing."

Meredith smiled, "Derek, it was just one kiss."

"A first kiss."

"You are such a sap," she laughed, rolling her eyes.

"And you like me anyways," he smiled, kissing her forehead before she pulled back, pulling his lips against hers instead.

"What, I get to do that whenever I want to now?"

Meredith smiled, "That's usually how it goes."

"Well, I never know with you."

"Okay, fine," she said, pulling away to give him a serious look. "Derek Shepherd, you now have full rights to kiss me whenever you want."

"Good," he said, pulling her back to him to kiss her again.


	20. Chapter 20

"Be careful," Derek warned, watching as Meredith began to take a few steps down the make-shift staircase. "They aren't very sturdy and my Dad built this like ten years ago."

"Derek, I'm fine," Meredith said, laughing a little at his concern. "You're still holding on to me anyways."

"I'll catch you if you fall, okay?" Derek continued, taking the last few steps down the staircase, waiting for Meredith to join him.

She rolled her eyes, giggling. "Okay, I'm sorry, but you cannot say things like that. That was like the epitome of all things cheesy and corny."

"Get over it," Derek teased, pulling Meredith to him as she reached semi-leveled ground.

"That really wasn't that hard. I could have ran down those if you would have let me," Meredith smiled, looking up at Derek.

"And end up with another sprained ankle? I think not."

"I think you like playing the role of the knight in shining armor," Meredith continued, feeling comfortable as he wrapped his arms around her. She forced herself to continue looking into his eyes, not thinking about what any of this could mean. She didn't want to know. It didn't matter. She'd be going back to New York soon and then college.

"And you like being the damsel in distress," Derek smiled, leaning down to kiss her again, pushing her hair out of her face.

Despite all of her insecurities and all the reasons that she shouldn't be kissing him, Meredith knew she was the one deepening it as her tongue penetrated his mouth again, her fingers running through his hair, while her other hand spread out against his chest. It just felt _so_ right.

After a long internal debate, she forced herself to move away, pulling his hand towards the pool at the bottom of the little waterfall. "Is this fresh water?"

Derek shrugged, "Probably a little brackish. It has to flow into the sea at some point."

Meredith kicked off her flip flops, letting go of Derek's hand as she walked into the cold water, letting it wash up against her calves. She felt Derek's body behind her after a few minutes, grabbing her hands again and keeping her close to him.

"I love this," she whispered, leaning into him as she spoke. 'It's so quiet and relaxing. All you can hear is the movement of the water."

"Hmm…"

"What does that mean?" Meredith giggled, turning to look at Derek.

"Contentment. Satisfaction. All synonyms."

She smiled again, turning back to the water. She felt him slightly pull her to their left, noticing Derek found a rather large rock to sit on. It was a little damp, so he pulled her into his lap, keeping his hold on her. Her feet were still in the water, allowing her to draw lazy patterns that continually disappeared as Derek held her closely.

"Why the change?" he finally whispered.

"What?"

"Not that I'm complaining, but what changed from yesterday that means I can kiss you?"

Meredith shrugged, not turning back to look at him, but feeling his head rest on her shoulder, giving him a view of her face. "No reason."

"Somehow I doubt that."

Meredith sighed, deciding she had to give him something, even if it wasn't everything. "I just… I feel safe, you know? Like all the crap that makes this really complicated doesn't matter. It just makes me want to let you kiss me and do whatever you want to because that's the only thing that's important. It's stupid, I know, but I've never felt safe. I'm just taking advantage of it while I can." Her admissions surprised her the most. Her conscious decision was to just pretty much tell him that she really liked him, but more words came out and she couldn't stop herself. The safety enabled bravery, which led to embarrassing admissions.

Derek nodded, absorbing the information that she was giving him. "What makes this really complicated?"

She shook her head, "That, Derek Shepherd, is what you _don't_ get to know."


	21. Chapter 21

Meredith slowly lifted her leg out of the warm bath water, watching the liquid droplets roll down her skin and drop into the water. Her hair was half-way drenched, her shampoo and conditioner left untouched on the edge of the bathtub. She could still feel Derek's hands on her body, his lips on hers. She felt more satisfied from those mere kisses than from anything else she'd experienced her entire life.

Her bathroom door flew open, causing Meredith to slip into the water a little deeper in surprise. "What the hell?"

"You are in _so_ much trouble," Katherine smirked, closing the door behind her as she walked over to the bathtub and sat on the edge.

"What do you mean?"

Katherine looked at her sister, smugly. "Apparently Francis blabbed to Mom. I overheard _everything_. He said he wasn't going to say anything, but he's seen you come back with him a few times and this time you two were kissing. Like _really_ kissing. And he's apparently below our standards, so he felt it necessary to tell Mom."

"You have got to be kidding me."

'Nope, but I see house arrest in your future. Or resort arrest I guess. Which really can't be that bad considering the number of spas, restaurants, pools, and pretty much everything else here. I don't see why you ever leave," Katherine said, completely missing how serious this was for Meredith.

"Well, what did Mom say?" Meredith asked, not sure if she actually wanted to know the answer to that question.

"Something about talking to you about sticking with your own kind. And she blamed Richard for giving you permission to ever step off the resort in the first place."

There was a knock at the door to Meredith's suite, causing them both to turn their heads. "Shit…" Meredith mumbled under her breath, sinking completely under the water.

Katherine laughed a little to herself, enjoying her sister's suffering before she left the bathroom. She opened the door to Meredith's suite, finding April.

"Tell your sister that your mother will be by in fifteen minutes. She expects Meredith to be out of the tub and in something decent by the time she arrives," April instructed, knowing full well what was coming.

"Okay," Katherine answered, turning back to Meredith's bathroom where her sister was quickly trying to rinse shampoo out of her hair. "So Mom is going to be here in fifteen minutes to have a 'talk' with you, so I'm going to disappear. Good luck!"

"Thanks, really," Meredith answered sarcastically, moving to the conditioner. The entire time she cleaned herself and got out of the tub, she tried to rehearse reasons as to why she should be allowed to see Derek, other than the very blunt fact that she was eighteen. She wasn't too keen with throwing that out there as she was still entirely dependent on her mother. She didn't care that much about being disinherited, but she'd prefer her mother pay for her college tuition.

She quickly unplugged the tub and threw on her silk robe before trying to get as much of the moisture out of her hair as possible. She ran a brush through her long hair, parting it and trying her best to look half-way decent before she hurried over to her closet. Before she could put on her pajamas, there was a knock on the door, so Meredith instead slipped on a pair of underwear and closed the door, trying to keep things in perfect order.

She opened the door without giving her mother the chance to knock twice, knowing that she'd be in so much more trouble had she not. "Hi, Mom," Meredith said, trying to smile and pretend like everything was okay.

"Meredith." Ellis answered, brushing past her daughter and into the room. Ellis took a seat in the small seating area, facing away from where Meredith was standing. Not needing an invitation, Meredith walked over to her mother and took the adjoining seat. "I'm sure you know why I am here."

"Yes, I do."

"What's his name?" Ellis asked, her eyes still fixated on something in front of them, ignoring Meredith's eyes.

"Derek Shepherd."

"Does he live on the island?"

"Yes."

"What do his parents do?"

"Why is that relevant?" Meredith snapped, finally losing her decorum.

Ellis finally turned to look at her daughter, "Because you are a Grey-Webber and you have-"

"No." Meredith clarified, knowing she'd probably made a mistake by not only interrupting her mother, but contradicting her as well. "I am a Grey. And honestly, I'd rather be neither. Just Meredith would be perfectly fine for me."

Ellis cleared her throat, dismissing Meredith's comment altogether. "Obviously whatever they do is not sufficient. Otherwise, you would have openly told me. Whether you like it or not you are both a Grey and a Morgan through birth, both families having a long and important social history, aside from your father. By extension you are a Webber as well. You have a place in society in which you were born into. You need to realize this before you embarrass both yourself and this family more than you already have in the past couple of years."

"I'm not going to stop seeing Derek," Meredith said concretely, making sure she marked her position before things went any farther.

"There is absolutely no point to this relationship, Meredith. After the summer, he will stay on this island and follow his father's footsteps in whatever meager career he does partake in, while you will attend Harvard in the fall. This is not negotiable."

"I wasn't negotiating," Meredith countered. "I know I am going to Harvard. I've worked too hard to give that up. That has nothing to do with Derek or what I do this summer."

"Yes, it does. It has everything to do with it. I will not have you be distracted the entire fall semester because you're moping over some boy that won't amount to anything," Ellis scolded. "Besides, you need to catch up on your summer reading and get your head out of that stupid journal of yours."

"I read all of those books years ago. I know them all cover to cover. There is no point in me reading the Iliad again. I have read it in English and Latin. There is nothing wrong with what I'm doing with Derek, so just go back to your socialite friends and stop pretending that you actually care about my wellbeing."

Ellis eyed her daughter carefully, watching as Meredith caught her breath after her rant. She swallowed carefully, thinking through her words before speaking. "I expect to see him at dinner tomorrow night. Seven o'clock sharp."

With that, Ellis stood up and left Meredith's room, leaving her daughter speechless and slightly stunned.

* * *

Derek padded down the stairs only half awake, finding his father already downstairs in the kitchen. Since Derek had started helping his Dad out on a normal basis, he'd always been the first to get up, start coffee, and wait for his father to come down. The change in roles led to a raised eyebrow from his father, but Derek ignored it as he silently ate his breakfast.

The two men remained silent until the old truck stopped near the docks. "Is that her? It's not even six o'clock in the morning."

Derek looked over in the direction his father nodded to, sure enough seeing Meredith hurrying down the side of the hill. He shook his head and then looked at his father for approval.

"Go, but I need you back here in twenty minutes, got it?" Andrew asked, slightly amused by his son's new infatuation.

Derek practically jumped out of the car, no longer feeling the exhaustion that had consumed him only moments before. He ran over to the hill and climbed up a bit, grabbing on to Meredith's waist to balance her. "Derek, you scared the shit out of me!" she squealed, jumping at the feeling of his hands on her.

"What are you doing out here so early?" Derek asked, releasing her waist and grabbing her hand instead, leading her carefully down the hillside.

"Umm, well, Francis, you know the doorman?" Meredith asked, stumbling over her words.

"Yes…"

"Well, he saw us last night. You know,_ saw_ us," Meredith explained, hoping she was at least making sense to him.

Derek nodded, "Okay…."

"And, he told my Mother. About us. Which would be fine if I had any other mother, but I don't. I have mine. And she went all crazy on me," Meredith continued, averting her eyes from his.

"What did she do?" Derek asked, his hand coming to her chin and bringing her face up to look him in the eyes.

"Invited you to dinner tonight."

Derek laughed, "That's your mother going crazy?"

Meredith sighed, shaking her head. "Well, other stuff happened before that, but that's just how it ended. She said seven o'clock sharp. Tonight. Which is a big dinner thing for my step-dad's business. Meaning tux, Derek."

Derek placed his hands on her shoulders, steadying her body and bringing his attention to him. "Meredith, breathe." His words were met with a slightly frustrated look from Meredith and he had to bite back a laugh. "I have a tux for special occasions. When my Dad and I get back, I'll shower, get in the tux and be at the resort _before_ seven for your peace of mind. It will be okay. I promise."

"You don't know my mother."

"It doesn't matter. She's not going to scare me away," Derek reassured.

"Promise?"

"Promise," Derek said, gently kissing her. "Now I have to get back before my Dad kills me. I'll see you tonight, okay?"

"Okay," Meredith said, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him again.

"Relax. Go swimming. Spa. Do that journal thing you like so much. Just breath," Derek instructed as he turned to walk away. "Things are not as complicated as you think."

"You've yet to convince me of that," Meredith called out, watching him head over to the docks.

"One of these days, Meredith Grey," Derek smiled, walking backwards so he could keep looking at her. "I will teach you all the wonders of blissful simplicity."

"That's not reality!"

"So you say."


	22. Chapter 22

"Meredith, calm down."

"No," Meredith hissed as she walked around her room in circles, wringing her hands in front of her. She reached the doors to the balcony, turned around and walked around the bed, past the sitting area, and to the door before doing it all over again. She was really close to freaking out. _Really_ close.

"Seriously, Meredith, stop," Katherine groaned, throwing herself down on her sister's mattress in her dramatic fashion. "You already ruined my spa day with your non-stop rambling. Are you going to ruin my night too?"

Meredith stopped in front her vanity, shutting her sister a look. "You can leave. Actually, I believe I told you not to follow me in here. No one is holding you hostage."

Katherine sat up, watching as her sister resumed her route. "I can't leave you here. You'll spontaneously combust. What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing."

"Yeah, cause I'd believe _that_."

"Shut up."

"What is it about this guy?" Katherine continued, ignoring her sister completely. "Why do you like him so much?"

"I'm not explaining this to you."

Katherine pulled herself off the bed, walking over to her sister's closet. "Why not? I'm going to meet him tonight anyways." She pulled open the door and disappeared inside.

"Katherine, what are you doing?" Meredith asked, stopping at the open door.

"Looking at your dresses," Katherine explained nonchalantly.

Meredith's eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms against her chest. "Why?"

"Because, you obvious like this guy. The least I can do is make sure you look thoroughly hot."

Meredith rolled her eyes, pulling her sister out of her closet. "I can dress myself."

"Uh, not really," Katherine answered, throwing her sister's wardrobe a disapproving glance. "Let's see…. This is a benefactors thing, which means full length, so we can't go short," she continued, shuffling through her sister's closet as Meredith stood by, trying to remain annoyed instead of grateful. "Colors…. Warm, bright, I mean, it is summer after all. What do you think about light pink?"

"I don't do pink. At least not light fluffy cotton-candy pink."

"So, why do you have this dress? I think cotton-candy is definitely the perfect description," Katherine smirked, holding up a dress.

"Because, Mom bought it for some DAR thing, now put it away and go dress yourself. I don't need your help," Meredith snapped, dragging her sister out of her closet and taking the horrid dress out of her hands.

"Come on, let me help!"

Meredith looked at her sister's overly excited face and sighed. "Fine, but nothing too ridiculous. Don't think you're going to force me into something I'd never wear. I'm having enough trouble as it is convincing Derek that I hate all this crap."

"You hate spending your summers in a five-star resort?" Katherine asked doubtfully, eyeing her sister carefully.

"Will you just find a dress!"

"Fine!" Katherine sighed, lifting her hands in defeat before disappearing back into the closet. A few minutes later, she came back out, dragging three dress bags with her before dropping them on top of the bed. "Okay, so I narrowed it down to three that I think you look good in. They'll make you look hot, but still be appropriate for a ball. I pretty sure Mom makes poofy dresses a requirement at this one."

"Depends on how poofy," Meredith clarified as Katherine pulled the dresses apart and organized their bags on Meredith's bed.

Katherine ignored Meredith, pulling down the zipper of the first dress. "Okay, so pink, but not cotton-candy. More magenta. Plus, I remember you liking this dress. It's sleeveless, which is sexy, but not trashy. Sweetheart necklines look good on you. The gathering on the skirt makes it look slightly poofy, but it's really not."

Meredith nodded, her hands fingering the satin material. Katherine was right. She did like this dress, but she still wasn't sure. She hated how much thought she was putting into this. She shouldn't care what Derek would think of her in the dress, but she did.

"Okay, choice number too," Katherine continued, ignoring her sister's strange mood. "This one has a square neck, but it'll still look good on you. I'm scared that you'll destroy it since it's white, but it's perfect for the summer. Plus, the pieces of black on the top will give you a definite waist, which you need. It has a slight flair in the skirt, and it looks really relaxed. Oh, and the black shoes I got last week will look perfect."

"No," Meredith answered quickly. "I don't know why, but I don't think Derek would like it."

"You really like this guy, don't you?"

"Have I ever subjected a guy to our mother before on choice?" Meredith asked.

"Point taken," Katherine answered quickly."Moving on. The last dress has a sweetheart neckline and a full skirt, but it doesn't really look poofy."

Meredith watched as her sister unzipped the bag, revealing a dark blue dress. She remembered getting this dress for some event, but refusing to go when it actually came time to wear it. Out of all the dresses her mother had ever bought it, this was the one Meredith actually really liked and she had forgotten all about it.

"Derek's eyes," Meredith breathed, her hand running down the dress.

"What?"

"It's the color of Derek's eyes."

Katherine looked at her sister carefully, slightly freaked out by the way her sister was acting. "Mer, are you sure you want to do this? Guys can seem really great and then turn out to be complete assholes."

"I know."

"I'm just saying, be careful."

Meredith smiled, remembering that she wasn't completely alone on this resort. Regardless of how different she and her sister were, she always knew Katherine loved her. "I know. Now go get dressed. And let me do my hair. I'll come by your room do your make-up in a little while."

"I can do my own make-up," Katherine answered quickly, the same way she did when she was little and any of them insinuated that she couldn't do something by herself.

"I know, but you are my little sister and I always do your make-up. Plus, Ethan is going to be there tonight. He'll realize I'm completely off the market and wakeup to see the beautiful girl next to him and become completely infatuated with you," Meredith half-way joked, laughing as her sister blushed slightly at the mention of Ethan.

"Okay, fine, I'll be waiting!" Katherine giggled, turning to leave Meredith's room.

"Hey, Kath?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks," Meredith said quietly. "One day, you'll understand how much this mean to me."

"Don't you mean him?"

"Maybe."

"I'm happy for you Mer. You deserve for something to not totally suck," Katherine answered before leaving the room, giving Meredith plenty of time to go back to her previous freak out. Strangely enough, as Meredith sat there, looking at the dress and imagining Derek in his tux, she couldn't really find that much reason to freak out. Her mother just didn't seem so scary anymore.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Francis stood with his arms at his side, directing guests in to the hotel's main foyer. His place was always the same: in front of the right door of the grand entrance, allowing him to watch as the guests who weren't already at the resort get out of their limousines and expensive cars, passing their keys to the valets. Thus far, everything had been in order. The president of the organization that was holding the banquet, Peter Rowling, just made his entrance, his trophy wife on his arm. Francis personally made sure that his most trusted valet had the Rowling car, not willing to risk any possible damage. Francis was known for his immaculate and orderly work, whatever the assignment, and he was set on this evening going on without a hitch.

"Sir, there seems to be a disturbance," one the valets said, catching Francis' attention and directing it to the gate at the end of the winding pavement.

The valet was quickly called away and Francis' phone rang before he had time to access the situation from his distance. "Hello?" Francis answered calmly, stepping away from the guests in a cavalier manner. No one needed any reason to believe there was something wrong.

"We seem to have an extraneous vehicle on the premises," the main guard at the gate answered quickly.

"Then escort it back on to the main road," Francis directed, hearing shuffling and the grumbling of a man in the background.

"Sir, he's on the guest list."

"Then why are we even discussing this?"

"Because he's driving a truck older than me."

Francis sighed, absently kicking a fallen leaf off the steps of the entrance. "Is he a guest of the Webbers?"

"Yes, sir."

"Have an officer escort him to the back entrance. We don't need him to cause a scene."

"Yes sir."

"And please inform him that if he plans to ever attend an event like this again at our resort, he needs to come in proper transportation," Francis continued.

"Yes sir."

* * *

Derek was pissed. He was infuriated actually. And he was certain that if he could think clearer right now, that he would be able to come up with a million other words that described the full extent of his frustration from all those words he had to learn for his stupid SAT. He knew that these people were going to look down on him. He'd never really had to deal with it up close, but he's heard about it and had small experiences the few times that he's actually had to interact with people from the resort before Meredith. He thought he knew what to expect, but Meredith hadn't told him that tonight was pretty much the biggest event the resort has the entire year. He hadn't made the connection when his father was complaining about all the extra fish and crabs the resort wanted, but now it all made sense.

Physically, he could pass as just one of the lower ranked people here. His mother taught them all excellent manners, so long as he didn't slouch, he'd be fine. The truck hadn't even crossed his mind until he got stuck in a line of limousines and Mercedes. And now some middle-aged man was leading him through the worker's entrance, even though he was in a tux that from a distance looked just as nice as anyone else's.

The man led Derek through a small hallway with supply closets and locker rooms on each side until they reached an intersection where the man finally stopped. "Go down this hallway and you'll eventually be at the main gathering room, I'm sure you'll realize when you get there. To your left will be the main doors to the banquet hall. A man there will direct you to your table," he said before disappearing back down the original hallway.

Derek sighed, straightened his bow tie and made sure that nothing was on his jacket before calmly taking calculated steps down the hall. As he got closer he could hear the soft music and all the people walking about and socializing with one another on their way to the actual banquet hall.

As he crossed in to the more public part of the hotel, the carpet became a deep burgundy, the walls a tan color. Women in large, embellished dresses passed through the hall's opening, men escorting them. Derek took a deep breath before crossing the threshold into what seemed like another world.

Part of him expected everyone to eye him carefully or shoot him glares, but walking through the crowd of people was rather anticlimactic. No one seemed to really notice him at all. He figured anything that he wasn't doing perfectly right was just attributed to his age and ignored.

He followed his instructions and quickly found a man standing behind a small podium with a seating chart. Derek stood behind a few people who were getting their own seats, giving him a chance to glimpse inside the banquet hall. It was full of circular tables and chairs covered in white linen. There was a small dance floor in the center, a stage in the back.

"Derek Shepherd, guest of Meredith Grey," Derek supplied when it was finally his turn.

"Derek?" the man said, looking up from the list.

"Mr. Hutchinson," Derek said warmly, shaking the man's hand. "I haven't seen you in awhile."

"How are you liking that prestigious school of yours since you left our little one? Still loving science?" the man asked.

"Very much so," Derek answered. "Are you still teaching?"

"Of course, just need some extra cash now that my little Olivia is in college."

"I heard she's engaged to Kevin Roberts," Derek continued, deciding to ignore the grumblings of the people behind him.

"Yeah, the wedding is in June. He's a good kid, treats her right."

"That's great."

Mr. Hutchinson cleared his throat, "Right, now Meredith Grey, of the Grey-Webber's I assume. Your table is number eleven. Her parents have arrived, but she hasn't yet. I'll let her know you're here when she does."

"Thank you," Derek said, shaking his hand again before heading towards his table, praying to god that Meredith came down soon. He really did not want to be alone with her parents.

Derek took a deep breath, stiffening his shoulders and straightening his back before taking a step forward into the impeccable ballroom. He could see the table Mr. Hutchinson had pointed out to him, and it was already occupied by a man, a woman, and a teenager – all of who he assumed made up Meredith's family. Of course, she had to be the only one missing. Derek made a mental note to make sure Meredith knew how much he really must like her to be doing this. If her family were really anything like she said they were, than he was in for a rough night.

Slowly, Derek made his way over to the table, taking every precaution he could to make himself blend in to the landscape of the party. By the time he neared the table, the man at it already was sizing Derek up visually. Derek just really hoped his disguise tonight was working – he didn't need people telling him that he wasn't good enough for Meredith right now. He already knew plenty of people were going to be thinking it anyways.

"You must be Mr. Webber," Derek said as soon as he stopped in front of the two remaining empty chairs. "Derek Shepherd." Derek politely offered his hand to the man, exhaling when the man's hard face broke out into a smile.

"Nice to finally meet you, Derek," the man returned, standing up in line with the politeness of their meeting. "Nice firm handshake. I like that in a young man. I always make sure to shake a potential employees hand before hiring – it can tell you a lot about a person."

Derek smiled in response, turning his attention to the woman sitting next to Mr. Webber with a class of wine in her left hand. "Mrs. Webber, I assume? It's wonderful to finally meet you."

"Grey-Webber, actually, but that's fine," the woman responded coldly, barely touching Derek's hand that he offered. The gesture was a cross between a limp hand and a repulsed one, but Derek knew it was more of the latter. "I'm sorry my daughter is so rudely late tonight. She's wonderful at displaying her complete lack of manners and punctuality. She makes it seem as though she wasn't from a family of her status. Hopefully she won't make the night too unbearable."

"I'm sure she'll do quite the opposite," Derek countered lightly, trying to ignore what the woman was actually saying. "She's more than worth the wait anyways." Meredith's mother just shook her head before getting the attention of a waiter to complain about her drink.

"You're Katherine, Meredith's little sister?" Derek asked, finally moving his attention away from Meredith's parents.

"Yes, it's nice to meet you," Katherine answered, trying to suppress her giggle. She had to admit; now she understood why her sister was so secretive about this boy. She'd want to keep him to herself too.

"You as well."

"Sit down son," Mr. Webber interrupted as he made himself comfortable in his own seat again. "No need to stand there waiting for Meredith. She'll be down shortly anyways. I'm sure she was just sidetracked, always has her head in one of her notebooks or books."

"Never focused on reality or anything of importance," Ellis mumbled not so subtly under her breath.

"Thank you, sir," Derek answered, taking the seat next to Mr. Webber. If he knew anything, he knew Meredith would prefer sitting next to her sister than either of her parents.

"What exactly do your parents do for a living?" Ellis asked, taking an actual interest in Derek instead of insulting her daughter, which surprised him to say the least.

"My father runs the fishing business on the island. It's his second greatest love – second only to my mother and our family. It's kind of a family business. My mother has always been a mother first, but she's a teacher at the local school as well."

"Family business? So you intent to be a fisherman then?" Ellis continued, managing to make the occupation sound derogatory.

"No actually, but I've always loved fishing and I work with my father when I can. It just had been in the family up until this point, but my parents would never force it upon me," Derek continued, subtly glancing over his shoulder, praying Meredith would appear at the doors.

"Oh, so this school, I'm sure that will take you far."

Without thought, Derek's face instantly showed both his surprise and disgust. He was going out of his way to be polite and this woman was being overtly sarcastic and insulting. He relaxed his face, reminding himself why he was here, and decided he wasn't as below their standards as she seemed to assume he was.

"I actually transferred to the Maury Academy on the mainland after eighth grade. A teacher of mine recommended I apply and I was given a full scholarship."

"I'm sure you were very far behind," she snapped quickly.

"Ellis--"

"I was at first, but I took about ten classes at a time to make up for it and attended summer school when necessary. I ended up second in my class, despite the competition and any disadvantage I may have started at," Derek finished, hoping he hadn't made a mistake in completely ignore Mr. Webber's interjection.

Katherine quirked her eyebrows. She was always amused by the way her mother attacked people while her step-father tried hopelessly to tame her, but she found Derek's ability to keep up with her and hold his own much more interesting and surprising to say the least. Maybe she had to give her sister more credit than she thought – this guy seemed pretty impressive, regardless of whether he was the son of a fisherman or not. He had more to offer than most of the boys at this resort, but if she knew her mother, which she did, Ellis Grey-Webber would never forget the difference in social class, but more importantly, she would make sure to find some other reason to disapprove of Derek Shepherd, even at the expense of Meredith.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Ellis scoffed to herself, ignoring any form of acceptance that she knew her husband was feeling. There was no way this local would be enough for Meredith. She knew that her daughter's history and reputation would result in a husband of lesser status than the one Katherine would have, but Ellis had always hoped that she would at least find someone of at least semi-decent repute. This boy was completely below consideration to the point that he should not even be a blimp on their radar. Ellis ensured a life that excluded people of his kind, but of course the ever rebellious Meredith Elizabeth had to cross her mother. The only hope she had was that Derek would make a big enough fool of himself tonight that not even Meredith would be able to put up with it. She knew that up until this point, he'd been acting. To be honest, she doubted nearly everything that came out of his mouth. The only guaranteed information was that the Maury Academy was a prestigious school, but she would have to discover whether he actually attended there, much less managed to be the salutatorian.

"So, Derek, what are your plans for the summer?" Richard asked, hoping to continue some semblance of politeness until he and his wife could slip away without looking rude.

"I spend a portion of most of the days on the water with my father. Other than that I spend the majority of my time either with my nephews or outdoors," Derek answered as he not so subtly glanced at his watch again. The second he got Meredith alone, he was going to kill her for this. Not actually kill her because she was too cute for that, but he was going to pretend to be mad at her until she used that little giggle of hers against him. She was already missing the salad; he wasn't sure how much longer he would last without her.

"I was never much of an outdoorsy man myself, but I have friends that find the outdoors to be the most comfortable place in the world."

Ellis rolled her eyes, "What friends are you talking about?"

"Jeremy Martin," Richard answered quickly, shooting Ellis a cautionary look.

"You've barely spoken to him in six years."

Richard shook his head, "Nevertheless, Jeremy always enjoyed his time camping up in the mountains. He found concrete forms of shelter to be complete wastes of money, even if he had the money to waste and then some."

Ellis was about to snap some comment back at her husband, but once she glanced up she noticed a deep blue gown out the corner of her eye. Taking a closer look, she noticed her daughter coming through the main entrance and for once, she was in perfect form. "Looks like my ungrateful daughter finally decided to show up."

Derek immediately turned around and stood up all at once, almost losing his own balance. Glancing in her direction, his face lit up, his eyes catching her own. He didn't really know the exact protocol, but he walked towards her, meeting her a few tables over anyways. He reached out for her hand, pulling her close to him before placing a soft kiss on her cheek. "You look astonishingly beautiful," he whispered carefully into her ear before pulling away and keeping her hand within his.

She found herself blushing regardless of her attempts to stop it, so she just quietly followed Derek's lead over to her parent's table, surprised that Derek hadn't said something about her being late yet, but more importantly, she was surprised he was still alive after being left along with her parents for an extended period of time. "Are you okay?" she finally whispered to him a few steps before their table.

"I think I've passed the test for the salad course. I don't know if they'll let me stay for the main course yet," Derek joked, giving her his classic smirk as he pulled out her chair.

"God Meredith, why on earth did you wear that old thing?" Ellis spat the moment Meredith was seated.

Meredith's heart sunk, her body was not used to switching from the elation she felt around Derek to the hostility of her family. "Mother, I have never worn this dress before."

"Yes, I know, but I bought it nearly two years ago. Do you have any idea how out of style it is?"

"It's actually pretty classy. I doubt anyone will notice," Katherine added. As much as she enjoyed watching her mother squish people sometimes, she really didn't want Derek or Meredith to have to sit through one of the classic Meredith-Ellis fights or one of their silent stalemates. Neither were enjoyable for anyone. "Besides, I picked it out. Mer was being a complete air head about what to wear tonight, so I didn't give her much of a choice."

"Kat," Meredith hissed, embarrassment written all over her face.

"Oh and you, I don't know how it works at your little picnics, but here, you don't kiss my daughter in front of every important benefactor unless you've been properly introduced to society, which I know you have not," Ellis continued, glaring at Derek now.

"Mother!"

"Mer, breathe," Derek whispered, his hand finding her thigh. He cleared his throat and then redirected his attention to Ellis, "I'm sorry if my actions were in appropriate Mrs. Grey-Webber. I assure you that I will remain completely appropriate for the rest of the night, as long as that entitles me to a dance with your daughter after the main course."

"Just keep your hands to yourself," Ellis snapped.

Meredith sighed heavily, wondering why she ever extended that invitation to Derek. She should have just ignored her mother and dealt with the consequences herself. There was no reason for her to have put Derek in this situation. From what she knew, his family dinners were full of laughter and love, maybe some teasing from all of his sisters, but not like this. The conversation had gone from patronizing and condemning to non-existent and she couldn't come up with something to say. There were a million thoughts running through her head throughout the entire main course, but nothing she would say in the presence of her parents. She wanted Derek alone and not even really for all the normal teenager reasons. She just wanted to be herself and remind him that this isn't the life she wants to live. The only reason she was still sane was the small glances and smiles he kept sending her, reassuring her, and reminding her that he was still there.

Eventually Katherine began talking, more to herself than anyone else, but it gave the impression that the Grey-Webber family wasn't completely hateful towards each other. Both Meredith and Katherine knew that everything was about appearances, even if their stepfather was generally a little more down to earth. He didn't naturally fit into the social aspects of his career and Meredith swore he never would have achieved so much if her mother hadn't been there to keep the appearances up and do everything he didn't want to or just never thought about doing. Ellis Grey-Webber was the one that everyone knew about regardless of whether she actually had a career of her own. She was a socialite that had a complete lack of social skills with her family: a conundrum Meredith had spent her entire life trying to figure out. Most of the kids she grew up with that weren't exactly like their parents at least had existent relationships with them, even if they hated the fakeness of their world, but Meredith and Katherine lived in a completely different environment. One thing Meredith had recently been realizing was that in private, Ellis almost had motherly moments with Katherine. As glad as she was that Katherine had someone, Meredith felt nothing than complete jealousy when she thought about it. Even if she wasn't being melodramatic, she was fairly certain that her mother had never said anything nice to her that didn't involve some type of hidden agenda.

As the main course ended and the waiters collected every one's plates, the lights dimmed and a few couples found their way onto the dance floor while the house pianist began playing. Derek glanced at Meredith, smirking at her seductively as his hand found hers under the table. Before he could say a word, another couple came and tore Meredith's parents away from the table to mingle and discuss business. Katherine too ran off to go find her summer crush, leaving the two alone.

"Derek, you can leave."

Derek paused, looking at Meredith carefully. "Are you asking me to leave?"

Meredith quickly shook her head, "No, I'm not. I'm just saying, you could leave. You know, if you want to."

"If I want to?"

Meredith nodded slowly.

Derek stood up, shaking his head as he pushed his chair in. Meredith looked up at him, her jaw clenched as she prepared herself. She tried desperately to ignore the feeling at the pit of her stomach, but she was failing miserably and just prayed he couldn't see what he was about to do to her.

"Meredith?" he asked gently, her name rolling off his lips.

"Yes?" she asked tentatively, trying to calm herself down internally.

"Will you dance with me?"

Meredith's smile broke out on her face as she took his hand, relief flowing through her body. His grip tightened on her hand as they walked over to the dark dance floor. Derek carefully placed his arms around her, pulling her body close to her body, but far enough away that he didn't think her parents would attack him on the spot. As the song drifted on slowly, Meredith rested her head on his shoulder, deciding that words weren't needed. She didn't need to explain her family or hit him for messing with her, because this was them. He teased her while she tried to avoid the obstacle that was her family. It wasn't perfect, but it had been working thus far and she was enjoying every minute of it. For the first time in her life, she felt like someone had actually saved her from her family and given her hope that things weren't always going to be like that.


	25. Chapter 25

"Ma, can you please just let it go?" Derek groaned, dropping his spoon into his bowl. He had been awake for less than twenty minutes and he already wanted to be back in bed.

"No, I'm afraid I can't, Derek," Carol continued as she chopped carrots into fine pieces, preparing meals for the day.

"Why not? Nothing's going on. It's not like we're having sex or anything."

Carol stopped, the silence welcomed by Derek's aching head. "Derek, I know you aren't because _my_ son wouldn't be so irresponsible when he has so many possibilities ahead of him. Now, I don't care whether you are sleeping with this girl or not. I want to meet her. You've met her parents and I let it go for a few weeks, but now I demand it. We're having all of the family over tonight and I would prefer that you were present instead of day dreaming about her. It's about time your father and I met her anyways."

"Dad's met her down at the docks. Can't that be good enough for now?" Derek bargained, picking up his empty dish and depositing it in the sink.

"No it is not, Derek Andrew Shepherd. I'm your mother, so I need to approve of this girl before you spend any more time with her than you already do."

Derek turned off the water he'd been using to clean his dish, turning to his mother. "Approve of her? Meredith is amazing. There is no reason that you wouldn't approve of her."

Carol nodded, grabbing another carrot to chop, "Well, then this should be very easy. And once I do meet her, I expect you to spend some more time around here."

"Ma, I'm not dragging Meredith here all the time. Our house is boring."

"I didn't say you had to bring her, you just need to spend more time here. You've spent almost your entire summer either on that stupid boat or with this girl and we've hardly seen you. You're going to college next year and it'll be a while before we get to see you again. I want to spend some time with my son instead of having him wasting his last days about with a girl. This isn't optional, Derek Shepherd," Carol warned, her tone resolute.

Derek cleared his throat, preparing himself for one of his first overt retaliation to anything his parents had said to him. "Stop calling her some girl. Her name is Meredith Grey. I'm not going to bring her over here if you can't call her by her name. She's already going to have a hard enough time with the sisters. I'm not putting her through a terrible night."

"Not optional, Derek. If she doesn't come, then you won't be spending all of your time with her anymore. I need to meet this Meredith."

"What's going on in here?" Andrew said as he walked into the kitchen, allowing the door to the outside slam behind him. He walked over to his wife and placed a kiss on her forehead, grabbing a piece of carrot.

"Andrew Shepherd, this is why your son doesn't listen. You've been a terribly role model," Carol scolded jokingly as she slapped his hand away from her ingredients.

Andrew chuckled, "My son is perfectly fine." He clasped his hand on Derek's shoulder, his son immediately straightening his back in response. "But what isn't he listening to?"

"I want to meet Meredith this afternoon at the picnic," Carol answered.

Andrew looked at his son, "I don't see what's so bad about bringing that pretty girl down here. She's been here before, hasn't she?"

"Yeah, but not with the whole Shepherd clan in all their glory. I'd prefer not to scare her away completely."

"From what you've told me, the girl is strong. She'll be fine." Andrew clapped his son on the back, turning back to his wife to steal something else. "Now go take a shower so you look nice when you invite her over."

Derek shook his head, leaving the kitchen as he mumbled his frustrations under his breath. As he reached the stairs his mother yell something up to him about fixing his hair too, but he was too busy trying to figure out a way to deal with tonight to hear her.


End file.
